Lahore: The Punjab government has ordered the establishment of anti-harassment committees in all government schools, with the aim of providing protection to students and effectively dealing with cases of harassment.
The directive was issued by the School Education Department on Thursday, and was approved by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on the occasion of International Day of the Girl Child.
Every primary, elementary, secondary and higher secondary school should form these committees as soon as possible. Each committee will be headed by the head of the school, and will include at least three teachers, including women, to ensure that complaints are properly and fairly resolved.
The powers of the committees will include:
- To receive complaints and conduct necessary investigations
- To ensure the protection of the complainants
- To take transparent and timely action
- To maintain complete records of the proceedings
- To submit reports to the district education authorities
The order has said that the process should be completed within 30 days and its details should be sent to the department. This move is a significant step towards creating a strong mechanism against harassment in schools and providing protection to students, especially girls.
