Birbhum school encourages students to speak their mind through confidential box
The Statesman | 20 October 2025The move follows the recent tragedy in which a tribal girl was allegedly raped and murdered by her own schoolteacher. Taking lessons from the incident, the department has resolved to introduce additional safeguards for the safety and welfare of school students, particularly minor girls.
According to sources, the installation of ‘Moner Kotha’ boxes across all schools will begin immediately after the ongoing festive season. Furthermore, from next month, special training sessions will be conducted for the teachers-in-charge of each school to strengthen awareness and preventive measures.
Seminars will be held in phases involving teachers from state government schools in Birbhum district. Students and their guardians will also be invited to participate in these awareness sessions.
District child protection department official Nirupam Sinha said: “We are taking significant steps to ensure the safety of school students. Multiple seminars will be organised in different schools across the district, where everyone will be educated about good touch and bad touch. School authorities will also be advised to act swiftly if any complaint is lodged by a student.”
He further added that any complaint made by students must be promptly reported to both the district education department and the child protection department. Strict action will be taken against any headmaster or headmistress found concealing such complaints.
Recently, panic spread among guardians after another case of molestation involving a student from Rampurhat came to light. Officials hope that the new measures will help restore confidence among parents and students.
As part of the new initiative, each school will receive a ‘Mind’s Speech’ box, where students can submit written complaints or express their concerns, anonymously if they wish. The box will be opened once a month in the presence of administrative officials, allowing authorities to review and respond to the students’ grievances. Any credible complaint will be investigated immediately, and necessary action will follow.
The decomposed body parts of the Rampurhat Class VII tribal girl were recovered twenty days after she went missing. The school’s physical science teacher was later arrested in connection with her abduction, rape, and murder. Agitated locals also physically assaulted the headmaster, alleging that his timely intervention could have saved the young girl’s life.
