Odisha Orders Safety Steps in All State Schools
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The state government has ordered every Odisha District Education Officer (DEO) to go over and above to make sure schools create a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive environment for female students and teachers. The strategy helps especially to allay growing concerns over the safety of women employees and students, especially in remote and underserved regions. July 17, 2025, Bhubaneswar: The School and Mass Education Department wrote an official letter to DEOs asking them to collaborate with municipal administrations, headmasters, and school management committee to create plans that give women and girls priority for their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. The government stressed that any carelessness in this field could have serious repercussions and even lead to administrative punishment. The order stresses how important it is to create a classroom free of all kinds of violence, discrimination, and bullying. This covers assigned restrooms and female teachers and non-instructional staff as well as continuous gender awareness campaigns for students and teachers on security measures and sensitivity and a working complaint redressal system. Officials should view schools as places for respect, equity, and trust in addition to promoting intellectual development. “If our institutions are not inclusive and safe, we will not achieve the larger objective of social empowerment because we believe that education is a strong instrument for gender equality,” said a senior agency official. This non-negotiable rule’s main objective is to preserve the dignity and safety of girls and women on campus. Surprise inspections and regular compliance reports on the execution of safety rules at both publicly supported and open institutions were to be conducted by the DEOs. Moreover, they must act promptly to correct any wrongs they see. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Proscription, and Redressal) Act, 2013 calls for internal complaints committees (ICCs) and female grievance officer appointments in all sectors. In ongoing training sessions, ICC members will acquire knowledge on how to handle issues with sympathy and ability. Aside from law enforcement and child protection authorities, school administrators have been urged to thoroughly check school grounds, particularly during school hours and when youngsters are being transported. The Odisha administration is seen to be forward-thinking given ongoing media reporting of gender-based violence and harassment across the country. Emphasizing the scarcity of female resources and employees in some schools creates a bad environment for girls, as many teachers would concur. The measure also advocates rigorous enforcement, as it is sometimes backed by civil society groups, teachers, and women’s rights activists who say it is essential for real development. Sneha Behera, an education rights campaigner from Bhubaneswar, said, “It’s not enough to have rules; the real change will come when these are enforced consistently, especially in rural schools where structural issues are often ignored. ” The long overdue step of promoting the hiring of female teachers and particular hygiene facilities demonstrates greater gender equality. By combining knowledge with safety, Odisha is establishing a standard for gender-sensitive education that other states might follow. One of the continuous efforts of the state to promote gender equality in education is accomplished via projects like the Biju Kanya Ratna program and the Mo School Abhiyan; this order upholds that aim. The state government has said that its top priority would be to guarantee the safety of women and girls everywhere, especially in education where the groundwork for respect and equality is built.
