Government will outsource school safety, cleanliness
CHENNAI: To address issues related to sanitation and safety facilities in government schools, the Tamil Nadu School Education Department has proposed to outsource housekeeping, sanitation, open area maintenance and security functions in 1,954 government schools across the state at a cost of Rs 130 crore. Has decided. Sources said around 8,000 employees may be deployed in July to implement this first outsourcing project in government schools in Tamil Nadu.
The school education department has divided the state into four zones to select schools for the project based on student strength. “High schools and higher secondary schools with more than 475 students have been selected to implement the project.
The scheme will be extended to other schools in the next three years,” said a top official of the school education department. Although the department had tried to float a tender in 2021 to undertake a similar project, it was put on hold due to legal challenges from some bidders. However, the education department has now successfully floated the tenders following court directions, sources said.
At present, less than 500 employees are employed in these schools and they will be allowed to continue their work till retirement. The state government has planned a system based on the Andhra Pradesh model where external agencies maintain a clean and safe environment in government schools.
Under the proposed system, security personnel will work in shifts around the clock while housekeeping and sanitation staff will work from 7 am to 3 pm. Their duties will include opening and locking the school gates, classrooms, toilets, staff rooms and other areas.
Parents say that if the school premises are kept clean, more children will take admission.
They will maintain registers for vehicles and visitors and ensure the safety of children on the premises. Additionally, they will also report on maintenance needs and oversee aspects such as water management, land maintenance and storage areas.
Zonal Heads, Area Managers and Supervisors will provide oversight and periodic inspections will be conducted by School Principals, Block Resource Teacher Educators (BRTEs), Chief Education Officers (CEOs) and Joint Directors. While monitoring processes will ensure safety, employees will be provided training regarding responsibilities.
A web-based mobile application monitoring system should be developed by the successful bidders for the project. The application will display the status before and after cleaning with images and videos. It has to be uploaded on daily basis. It will also include AI tools to check conditions before and after cleaning.
“One of the major concerns of parents while enrolling their children in government schools is the unhygienic conditions in the premises, especially the bathrooms. By ensuring that the campus is clean, it will involve more students,” said a parent who is part of the school management committee. At present, most schools have deployed sanitation workers on nominal wages to clean toilets twice a day.
The application will display the status before and after cleaning with images and videos. It will also include AI tools to check conditions before and after cleaning
