Who Guards the School Gate? The Stray-Dog Row That Put Teachers on the Hook; Here’s Why They’re Pushing Back
04 January 2026 | The Times of India
It began, like most modern education controversies do, with a court order meant to protect children-and ended with teachers being told (online) that they had been asked to do something they were never officially asked to do. On November 7, 2025, the Supreme Court, hearing Suo Motu WP(C) No. 5/2025 ("City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price"), issued time-bound directions to secure institutional premises-schools, hospitals, sports complexes, bus depots and railway stations - from stray dog risks, and sought compliance from States/UTS.
The administrative chain moved fast: A Ministry of Education (Department of Higher Education) letter asked educational institutions to appoint a nodal officer to coordinate upkeep, campus safety and municipal linkage, and to run awareness and first-aid preparedness. CBSE followed with a circular advising affiliated schools on preventing dog-bite incidents and managing strays in school premises….