Ahmedabad’s school safety programme, Saarthi Suraksha Sankalp, has directed schools across the city to create confidential channels for student complaints and establish five-member safety clubs to identify and respond to risks affecting children.
The initiative has been launched by the Ahmedabad City district education office to promote a safe, fear-free and supportive learning environment. Under the programme, schools must install Samvedana Peti complaint and suggestion boxes, allowing students to submit concerns, requests for help and suggestions in writing.
Students will not be required to provide their names wherever possible, enabling them to raise issues without fear or hesitation. Schools have been instructed to maintain confidentiality, formally register submissions and ensure that complaints receive timely attention. The stated objective is to allow children to express problems freely, obtain guidance and access appropriate support.
The programme covers government, grant-in-aid and non-granted schools, as well as institutions affiliated with different education boards across Ahmedabad city. According to the circular cited in the report, more than 300 schools have already started implementing Saarthi Suraksha Sankalp.
The district education office has identified a range of concerns that students may face inside and outside school premises. These include food safety, road safety, cyberthreats, bullying, harassment, discrimination, mental stress and other safety issues. The complaint mechanism is intended to help schools identify such concerns at an early stage and intervene in a timely manner.
Each participating school must also establish a Saarthi Safety Club with five members. The principal will chair the club, which will include one male teacher, one female teacher, one male student representative and one female student representative. The structure places school leadership, staff and students within the same formal safety mechanism.
Schools have further been directed to conduct monthly awareness activities. These may include essay-writing competitions, drawing, speeches, skits and mock drills focused on safety and preparedness. The programme therefore combines complaint reporting with regular activities intended to familiarise students with safety concerns and available support.
Complaints involving serious child-safety concerns, physical violence, sexual harassment or risks of self-harm will require immediate action under applicable laws. The instructions make these cases distinct from routine suggestions or complaints by requiring urgent response and legal compliance.
The initiative’s implementation will depend on how schools record complaints, protect confidentiality and act on cases after they are submitted. For now, the district education office has placed the responsibility for establishing the complaint boxes and safety clubs with schools across Ahmedabad, with more than 300 institutions already reported to be participating.
