Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal
Bantwal, Jul 7: Reinforcing the belief that education is not limited to classroom teaching but also includes student safety, parental peace of mind, and the effective use of technology, Bala Vikas English Medium School at Mani-Peraje has become the first school in Karnataka to implement a comprehensive RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)-based digital student safety system.
Under the new system, every student has been issued a digital RFID identity card. Students are required to scan their cards while entering the school through the RFID-enabled turnstile gate and again while leaving the campus in the evening. The moment the card is scanned, an SMS and mobile notification are instantly sent to the respective parent's phone, informing them that their child has safely arrived at or departed from the school.
The school's transport system has also been completely digitised. Students must scan their RFID cards using readers installed on the school buses while boarding and alighting. This automatically records which student travelled on which bus and at what time.
The school operates 11 regular school buses for student transportation. To ensure uninterrupted service, an additional backup bus has been kept ready at all times to handle technical failures or emergency situations. This reflects the school's emphasis not only on student safety but also on maintaining continuity of transport services.
Every school bus has been equipped with CCTV cameras, live GPS tracking, speed governors, and the mandatory presence of a female staff member. Parents can monitor the real-time location of the bus through a dedicated mobile application, enabling them to know where the bus is and its expected arrival time.
The advanced safety system has been implemented under the guidance of the school's management committee president, Prahlad J Shetty, and through the vision and initiative of management committee secretary Mahesh J Shetty. The initiative has received widespread appreciation from parents.
The development assumes significance in the wake of a recent observation by the Karnataka high court that the responsibility of a school's management extends until students reach their homes safely after school. In this context, Bala Vikas English Medium School's decision to introduce such a comprehensive digital safety system well in advance reflects its farsighted approach to student welfare.
By integrating education, technology, and student safety on a single platform, Bala Vikas English Medium School, Mani-Peraje, has set a benchmark for schools across Karnataka and given a new dimension to the concept of a ‘smart and safe school’.
The key features of the system include RFID-enabled turnstile gate entry to the school, RFID readers installed on every school bus, automatic recording of student attendance, instant SMS and mobile notifications to parents, effective prevention of unauthorised entry into the school, real-time monitoring of students' movement, elimination of human errors in attendance recording, and enhanced peace of mind for parents regarding their children's safety.
The school bus safety system includes CCTV surveillance, live GPS tracking, speed governor mechanisms, the mandatory presence of female staff members on every bus, and RFID-based digital records of students boarding and alighting from school buses.
Parents have also appreciated the management's initiative to introduce the digital safety system for the protection of children.
"Parents have welcomed the management's decision to adopt this digital system from the perspective of children's safety," said Sudeep Kumar Shetty, president of the Teachers-Parents Association of Bala Vikas English Medium School, Mani-Peraje.
"Student safety has been given the highest priority while implementing this technology," said Mahesh J Shetty, secretary of Bala Vikas Trust, Mani.