Calcutta: All ICSE schools have been given two weeks to install CCTV cameras in classrooms and everywhere else on their campuses except the washrooms.

Several of Calcutta's top ICSE institutes, including St. James' School, Modern High School for Girls and St. Xavier's Collegiate School (senior section), do not have CCTV surveillance in their classrooms.

The circular issued by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations on Monday makes it binding on all institutes to extend camera coverage to almost every section of the campus.

"We are upgrading the safety manual for schools, but for the time being they will have to adhere to the measures specified in the circular," said Gerry Arathoon, secretary and chief executive of the Delhi-based council.

The trigger for the directive was apparently the alleged sexual assault by two teachers on a four-year-old student at the GD Birla Centre for Education.

The incident last Thursday has whipped up a maelstrom of anger and concern among guardians about the safety of their children once they leave home for school.

Many schools see a CCTV camera in a classroom as an intrusion on what a veteran teacher described as "an uninhibited learning atmosphere". But the council feels increased camera surveillance has become necessary.

"All schools are hereby informed that they shall, forthwith and in any event not later than two weeks hereof, mandatorily install CCTV cameras in all the classrooms, examination halls, corridors, libraries, laboratories, staircases, entrance to staff room and washrooms, playfield/s, open space, terraces, bus parking bay where children board and/or alight from school buses/other vehicles and at all other places, as required, and monitor the same, for the complete safety and security of all its students and staff," the circular states.

Schools are required to ensure that the "recordings of all the installed CCTV cameras are preserved for a minimum period of a fortnight".

The council had in September asked all schools to make safety of students "a priority".

Devi Kar, the director of Modern High, said: "We should not be content with CCTV cameras. Schools have to be vigilant, not just depend on technology."

A few schools are increasing their CCTV coverage even beyond their campuses. "We already have 100 cameras and will be putting up more at our gates to cover the road leading to the campus," said Basanti Biswas, the principal of Calcutta Girls' High School.

Some school heads said it would be difficult for them to install so many CCTV cameras within two weeks because of the cost.