School Structures & Students' Safety
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: December 19, 2014 -
In the wake of the horrific attack and slaughter of school students at Peshawar in Pakistan by the Talibans, the Government of India has instructed states governments to beef up security at educational institutions particularly schools for small children.
As the notoriety of the Talibans is global in character and their reach is beyond boundaries, countries particularly India must have the utmost concern on such attacks.
Circumstances prevailing in international politics are testimony to the fact that India is surely a potential target for the Talibans.
Meanwhile, the United States President Barak Obama is slated to be the chief guest in the Republic Day ceremony of India on 26 January next year.
This is no good news to the Muslim fundamentalists, who consider Obama as their bęte noire.
Moreover, India’s growing accomplishments in global perspectives under the new Prime Minister Narendra Modi has likely implications to irk the anti-democratic sections of mankind.
Home Ministry rightly feels Indian schools should be ensured safety and security at all costs.
Coming to the situation in Manipur, almost all the schools particularly those where small kids used to attend do not follow the safety norms provided under guidelines.
Leave aside the evacuation channels or exits during tragedies, majority of schools for kids are without playfields, spacey rooms and adequate corridors.
Moreover, a number of schools are situated at congested city areas and even beside the Highways, which mean that the students are vulnerable to tragic accidents or incidents.
For instance, the reputed schools like the Nirmalabas School, Shantilata Memorial Schools, Bhairodan Schools, Guru Nanak School, and others are inside the congested Khwairamband market, which is the pedestal for various kinds of catastrophic incidents.
Certain schools at city outskirts like the Heritage Convent School at Uripok in Imphal west are also run without spacey fields and rooms.
Thousands of small students are packed inside the tall-storeyed building, which actually creates tension among parents in times of any undesired eventuality in Imphal city.
In such a scenario of schools in Manipur, even a brief stampede may be a doom for the small kids.
Now, with the Centre waking up the state governments for safety norms in schools, Manipur Government may pay due attention to the structures of the existing schools in Manipur.
The mushrooming private schools in the state needs to be inspected thoroughly on whether their buildings actually ensure safety and security of the students.
Institutions which defy safety norms may be awarded penalty, before any tragic episode hits them.
Issue of ‘School Structures and Students’ Safety’, if raised in the ongoing State Legislative Assembly session, would also serve as a well-timed agenda for the legislators.
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