– Dr Rini, AI and IoT Expert, Academician and Business Strategy Consultant

Crimes against children in India increased by 5.9 per cent in 2024, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The crime rate rose from 39.9 per lakh children in 2023 to 42.3 in 2024, while cases involving missing children increased by 7.8 per cent.

Behind these figures are children whose safety has been compromised and families who trust schools to protect them. Technology can help institutions identify credible risks before they become tragedies, provided it forms part of a comprehensive safeguarding system.

Beyond CCTV

The key question is not whether a school has CCTV, but whether its safety systems are reliable and responsive.

Hundreds of cameras provide little protection if important areas remain uncovered, devices fail without generating alerts or trained personnel are unavailable to respond. Schools must therefore evaluate how well their systems perform rather than simply count the number of devices installed.

Integrated platforms can connect AI-enabled video analytics, Building Management Systems (BMS), emergency response tools and environmental monitoring. This allows schools to detect problems and coordinate responses more effectively.

Protecting vulnerable children

Child abuse can affect children of every gender, but adolescent girls may face complex forms of grooming, intimidation and emotional manipulation. A child may not realise that a boundary has been crossed or may remain silent because she fears the consequences.

The responsibility for detecting abuse cannot rest entirely on the child. Schools need trained staff, child-friendly reporting mechanisms, clear safeguarding procedures and carefully designed technology that identifies defined risks without enabling excessive surveillance.

Technology cannot replace empathy, counselling or human judgement, but it can provide responsible adults with earlier warnings and better information.

A legal responsibility

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO), establishes legal responsibilities for preventing and reporting sexual offences against children.

NCRB data identifies POCSO-related offences as the second-largest category of crimes against children in 2024, after kidnapping and abduction. Technology cannot replace these legal obligations or determine guilt. It can, however, make institutional safeguards more responsive and accountable.

From recording incidents to detecting risks

Traditional CCTV is largely retrospective: an incident occurs, someone reports it and the footage is reviewed.

AI-enabled video analytics can identify predefined situations such as unauthorised entry, perimeter intrusion, movement in restricted areas, camera tampering and access anomalies. These systems must operate with clear purposes, human oversight and appropriate privacy safeguards.

The role of AI is not to declare someone guilty, but to alert a responsible person that an unusual situation may require attention. Schools should also receive alerts when safety-critical devices stop functioning.

Extending safety beyond the school gate

A child’s journey between home and school is also part of the safeguarding process.

Integrated transport systems can combine GPS, geo-fencing, route monitoring, driver and attendant identification, authorised boarding records and emergency communication. Route deviations or emergencies can then trigger alerts to authorised school staff and parents.

The purpose is not constant surveillance, but greater visibility and accountability during a child’s journey.

Safety includes infrastructure and health

School safety extends beyond crime prevention. It includes safe drinking water, sanitation, indoor air quality, fire protection, accessible evacuation routes and properly maintained infrastructure.

A modern BMS can connect lighting, ventilation, alarms, access controls, water systems and environmental sensors through a common platform. Connected water systems can detect unusual consumption and potential leaks, while sensors can monitor carbon dioxide, particulate matter, temperature and humidity.

The value of these systems lies in making risks visible before they become crises.

Emergency response must be planned

The true test of smart infrastructure is how it performs during a fire, medical emergency, security incident or equipment failure.

An integrated emergency response system can connect alarms, cameras, access controls, communications and predefined escalation protocols. This can reduce the time between an incident, its detection and the school’s response.

Emergency plans must also accommodate children with disabilities through accessible routes, audible and visual alarms, suitable assembly points and clearly assigned staff responsibilities. The test is not simply whether an evacuation plan exists, but whether every child can use it.

Creating a school safety operating system

Technology in many schools remains fragmented, with CCTV, GPS, fire alarms, access controls, water systems and ventilation systems operating separately.

Integrating these systems would allow authorised personnel to check whether cameras are operational, buses are following approved routes, fire systems are functioning and environmental conditions remain within safe limits.

Technology does not replace human decision-making. It helps institutions remain informed, strengthening accountability.

Measuring the time to intervene

Instead of asking how many cameras they need, school leaders should ask how quickly they can detect and respond to a credible risk.

Safety assessments should measure the time taken to detect, acknowledge, escalate and resolve an incident. Schools should also evaluate staff training, child-protection procedures, transport safeguards, accessible emergency plans, environmental monitoring, privacy policies and periodic audits.

Privacy must remain central

A safer school must not become a surveillance-heavy school.

Cameras should respect privacy, AI tools should have narrowly defined purposes, access to footage should be restricted and data should be retained only for as long as necessary. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, makes responsible data use an important part of school safety.

The best system is not the one that collects the most data, but the one that meets its safety objectives through proportionate and accountable use.

From reassurance to accountability

Schools should move beyond simply assuring parents that they take safety seriously. They should explain how their systems operate, how failures are detected, how emergencies are handled, how buses are monitored and how children’s privacy is protected.

No technology can eliminate every risk or understand every human situation. Schools can, however, reduce blind spots, strengthen infrastructure and intervene more quickly when risks emerge.

The future of Indian education should not be defined only by smart classrooms. It must also be defined by safe classrooms, accountable institutions and intelligent infrastructure.

Also Read: From Smart Services to Smart Campuses: A Digital Illusion or an Academic Imperative?