Admn to verify security parameters in schools

LUCKNOW:In the wake of the stabbing incident in a city school on Tuesday, in which a Class 1 boy was attacked and injured allegedly by a senior girl of the school, the district administration has directed education department officials to launch a special campaign to verify the security parameters in schools.

District magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said on Sunday, “Education department officials will conduct the campaign. It will see if the schools have put in place all safety features like installation of CCTV cameras, increasing the height of boundary wall, police verification of school van drivers and nonteaching staff etc.”

He said, “After the Gurgaon school incident, the government had directed schools to ensure proper safety to students. A number of guidelines were issued. The education department team will see if everything is in place or not.”

“If schools are found lacking in these parameters, show cause notice will be served to them,” said the district magistrate.

He said district administration has adopted zero tolerance policy on safety of school students.

However, the district administration officials will not be a part of these teams. “Our officers are already preoccupied with upcoming UP Diwas and Lucknow Mahotsav inauguration, Republic Day preparations and UP Board exams that will begin from next month. We will act on the report of education department officials,” district magistrate said.

On January 16, a Class 1 student of Brightland College in Lucknow was injured when he was allegedly attacked with knife in the toilet of a private school.

The incident evoked the call for more measures to ensure safety of children in schools.

At present, a two-member enquiry committee constituted by district inspector of school committee comprising Rita Singh, DIoS (Anglo-Indian schools) and Hairshchandra Chak, principal of Government Hussainabad Inter College, has demanded a long list of documents from the college.

The documents include registration of the society and approved map of the school passed by Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC).

The committee has also asked the school management to produce ownership certificate of the school, salary statement of teachers, apparatus and equipment available in school laboratory and documents establishing parent-teacher meeting held in the school this year.