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Where is the money to make it safe for schoolchildren? say officials

Bangalore: It has been more than a month since five-year-old Sonia Singh fell from the second floor of Vasavi Vidya Niketan and died. The Department of Public Instruction on July 18 sent a circular to all schools on the safety regulations that had to be put in place.

After the initial hue and cry, everything seems to have died down, even in the department. S.K. Channabasappa, Deputy Director of Public Instruction, Bangalore North, told The Hindu that although the circular was sent to all schools , not much had been done.

“We have held discussions with the heads of most institutions, both government and private managements. However, the inspections are yet to be taken up. We plan to form teams and conduct spot checks on safety regulations in place,” he said.

He said that only 10 per cent of the schools would be able to implement all the regulations suggested by the department. “Most schools in the city cannot implement them because of lack of space. The schools will probably have to demolish the buildings and build afresh keeping in mind the safety regulations. That is neither possible nor feasible.”

Soon after the death of Sonia Singh, Upalokayukta G. Patri Basavana Goud visited the school and directed the department to send a circular to all schools regarding safety measures that needed to be put in place. He directed the Commissioner of Public Instruction to ensure that officials of the department visited all schools to take stock of the situation.

Asked if the inspections had been taken up, Commissioner of Public Instruction Kumar G. Naik said: “I suppose the inspections have begun. I do not have any specific report about them.”

The Hindu visited a few schools, old and new, in the city on July 19 and found that several fundamental safety regulations had been flouted. The team revisited the schools on Thursday and found that there had not been any improvement a nd that safety regulations had not been put in place.

Srikantappa Swamy, physical education teacher at the Government High School, Palace Guttahalli, told The Hindu that soon after the incident, the Education Department sent a circular but they have not been able to do much about it be cause of lack of funds.

Mr. Channabasappa gave the same excuse. “When we met with the heads of government schools and asked them to ensure that they put in place safety measures, they asked us (department) to sanction funds for the same. We do not have the authority to sanction funds. While we understand that safety of children is a priority, there is only so much that we can also do,” he said.

At the Government Urdu Primary School, Palace Guttahalli, the primary classes are held on the ground floor. However, classes for second standard are conducted on the first floor. The metal railing has gaps that are large enough for a small child to slip through.

Not much has changed in two private schools in Nandini Layout. Here too, there were large gaps in the railings. In one of the schools, huge flower pots were found cemented on to the parapet. The pots still jut into the corridor and pose a danger to children who are forced to play in the corridor as the school lacks a proper play area. The other school has no grills to prevent children from falling over the low parapet walls. Not much can be done about the other school that the team visited in Devaiah Park. Here, the primary classes are held in the basement. The assembly enclosure on the ground floor has a low parapet overlooking the basement. If a child falls from the parapet, he/she will land directly on the flight of stairs.

All this only shows that many more tragedies are waiting to happen.

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