Kollam: The Kerala General Education Department has appointed teachers as nodal officers to ensure school campuses remain free from stray dog threats, following a rise in complaints of children being bitten by dogs on school premises.

The move comes after reports of students facing difficulties due to stray dogs in areas including Rajapuram in Idukki and Panamaram in Wayanad. In another incident, students at a school in Thalassery's Taliparamba had written to Chief Minister seeking action against the stray dog menace.

The department said the initiative has been launched in coordination with local self-government institutions, taking into account these complaints and to implement the Supreme Court's directions on stray dog control.

Activities planned

Under the new guidelines, teachers designated as nodal officers will coordinate stray dog control measures in schools. Their names and contact numbers must be displayed near the school entrance.

If stray dogs are spotted on the premises of government, aided or private schools, the nodal officer must immediately inform the local body authorities. The authorities are expected to capture the animals, vaccinate and sterilise them, and shift them to designated safe shelters.

Schools have also been directed to carry out urgent repairs to compound walls and gates to prevent stray dogs from entering campuses.

Stray dogs are commonly found near school kitchens and places where food waste is discarded. School authorities have therefore been instructed to ensure that food waste is not dumped in such areas.

Students will also be given awareness sessions on how to behave around dogs and the first aid measures to be followed in the event of a dog bite. Review meetings with local self-government institutions have been mandated once every three months to assess the implementation of the measures.

Teachers' union opposes directive

The Kerala School Teachers Association (KSTA), affiliated with the Left, has criticised the directive.

State general secretary T.K.A. Shafi said displaying teachers' names and phone numbers outside school gates was equivalent to humiliating them. He also reiterated the organisation's long-standing demand that teachers should not be assigned non-teaching duties.