Following an increase in the cases of student involvement in criminal activities, the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range is mulling to set up a special security cell to respond to the security issues related to academic institutions in the capital.

The Higher Secondary School´s Association Nepal (HISSAN) and the MPR on Sunday reached an agreement to form the Education Security Cell to handle the issues related to students.

A taskforce would be formed soon to finalize the structure and function of the Education Safety Cell, according to MPR Chief and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rana Bahadur Chand. Similarly, the taskforce will also decide the number of security personnel to be deployed under the police cell.

Apart from responding to the cases related to the students and education institutions, the mechanism would also raise awareness about anti-social activities such as drug abuse, drunk driving, over-speeding, gang fights and robbery, among others.

“The incidences of violence and drug abuse are disturbing the academic environment of the capital, which needs to be controlled immediately,” said Chand.

A student of Xavier International College was killed in a scuffle with his friend triggered by a minor dispute at the New Heaven Restaurant, Putalisadak on March 17.
“Those students who are entrapped in drug abuse will be sent to rehabilitation centers,” he added.

Police data show that most of the fatalities in the motorcycle accident in the Kathmandu Valley due to over speeding involve plus two students.

The security personnel have also been asked to detain students if they smoke in public places. The security cell would be instituted in the capital in first phase and then expanded to Lalitpur and Bhaktapur within a short period, said SSP Chand.

HISSAN President Ramesh Silwal said that the security cell would firstly cover academic institutions located in Koteshwar, Baneshwar, Gaushala, Chabahil and Putalisadak areas and will gradually expand its reach to other areas of the capital within a few months.

There are around 2000 private schools and colleges in the capital where around half a million students are studying, according to the data available at the District Education Office.

The concept of education security cell has been introduced as per the assurance of the Ministry of Education (MoE) on March 4 to guarantee a peaceful environment to run private institutions.

source: republica,24 march 2013