When a child boards a school bus, parents are entrusting the state and the institution with its life. This trust has been shattered in the case of the shocking case of a Balrath (state subsidised fleet of buses for schools) conductor booked for allegedly molesting multiple minor school girls. The survivors -- young girls had to endure inappropriate behavior for years before finding the courage to speak up during a school counseling session. The accused worked with the school for nearly 10 years.
While the accused has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, this case shows a deeper, uglier truth -- our governments and institutions are failing to protect children.This case shows a complete breakdown of safety rules. It exposes the lethargy and lack of care in how laws are applied.
This predator abused children for years without anyone noticing. Reason; the state government and school management failed to perform strict background checks or monitor the bus staff regularly. We have strong laws like the POCSO Act and the Goa Children's Act. However, these laws are on paper, not enforced actively. They act only after children are harmed, rather than preventing the crime.
School buses are meant to be safe spaces. The lack of female attendants, proper supervision, and active monitoring on these daily trips left these young girls completely vulnerable to a predator. A proposal to train women as drivers to drive school buses in Goa has since faced a roadblock due to structural barriers like outdated statutory height and physical requirements laid out in the recruitment rules for heavy vehicle operators in Goa.
Following deeply disturbing child safety violations involving male school transport staff, the conversation around recruiting women in school commutes is back into the public consciousness. It may be recalled that a proposal to train women drivers specifically for Balrath buses faced systemic obstacles like outdated recruitment rules, heavy vehicle licensing criteria, and financial issues.
We cannot wait for another child to be traumatized before we act. Schools, transport providers, and the government must take immediate steps to fix this broken system.Every single school bus and Balrath must have a trained woman attendant present for the entire journey.
The Goa Police must strictly verify the criminal records of all school transport staff, including drivers and conductors, before they are hired, and re-check them every year. Since the horrific Badlapur case, there has been a growing demand by child safety advocates for mandatory psychological evaluations alongside basic police clearances. The reason being, standard criminal record checks only catch past, documented convictions or pending FIRs. They fail to identify active, un-prosecuted sexual predators.
Schools must install working CCTV cameras inside all student transport vehicles and check the footage regularly. Schools must provide regular, age-appropriate awareness programs about safe and unsafe touch, ensuring children know how to report discomfort immediately.
Every school must have regular, confidential counselling so children feel safe to share their experiences early, preventing years of hidden abuse. This scandal is a loud wake-up call for Goa. Our institutions must wake up from their sleep, enforce child safety laws completely, and ensure that predators have absolutely no place near our children.
EVESCAPE calls upon the Directorate of Education (DoE), Goa Police, and school managements to shake off their administrative laziness. We do not need more laws; we need the strict, uncompromising execution of the ones we already have. Protect our children today, before another childhood is stolen in plain sight.
By Rajeshree Nagarsekar
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