The electrocution of a student while installing a flagpole on the school grounds only goes to show the violation of guidelines against involving students in such work.
Karthik, a class 10 student of Government High School at Holekoppa village in Sringeri taluk, died after coming in contact with a live wire while installing a flagpole for the block-level rural sports meet on the school premises on Tuesday. Two other persons suffered serious injuries.
Guidelines
The Commissioner of Public Instruction had issued clear guidelines against involving students in works such as cleaning the school premises. The School Development and Monitoring Committees had also been instructed to spend Rs. 700 a month to clean toilets or related works on the school premises. These measures were initiated to avoid causing inconvenience to schoolchildren.
Suffers heart attack
Meanwhile, Keshavamurthy, PE trainer of the school, who was given the responsibility of conducting the event, suffered a heart attack after the incident on Tuesday. He is undergoing treatment.
‘No additional staff’
S.G. Nagesh, District Youth Officer of Chikmagalur, told The Hindu that his department had no additional staff to conduct annual sports meets. “We involve local youth organisations and PE trainers of government schools to organise such events,” he said.
S.L. Prasanna Kumar, Block Education Officer of Sringeri, said whenever there was an event in a village, people of different age groups participate. “Here too, youth from the village and students helped organise the programme. Unfortunately, a student died,” he said.
The officer said that the family of the student would be given Rs. 50,000 from the Teachers’ Welfare Fund.
Jayaprakash Hegde, Lok Sabha member, has promised to bear the medical expenses of all those undergoing treatment, the officer added.
