Gurgaon schools plug holes

All private schools of Gurgaon have been called for a meeting by the District Education Officer to discuss the security and safety measures

In the wake of the massacre of over a hundred students in Peshawar earlier this week, several school authorities in the Millennium City now plan to put more stringent security and safety measures in place and plug loopholes in their security system.

Issuing a circular in this regard, the Shiv Nadar School authorities have informed the parents that additional security safety measures will be put in place after a meeting with the security sub-committee and discussions with the local authorities.

The circular, issued on Thursday, also emphasised that no student can be “picked up from the bus stop or the school by anyone without a valid escort pass. The staff members will be well within their rights to refuse to handover the child. Also, no parent/adult who comes to pick up a students shall be allowed to enter the school gates without an escort pass.”

Similarly, the management of The Heritage School in Sector 62 has also initiated such steps like installing Closed Circuit Television cameras inside the campus, a centralised warning system in the control room and in the Principal’s office, rehearsed emergency evacuation drills and restricted entry to visitors. The authorities have also sought help from the local administration to enhance police patrolling/monitoring around the school campus.

Some schools, however, feel their security system is flawless and there is little scope for improvement.

“The security of students has always been our priority and it is always under the review. The Peshwar incident has certainly created a sense of fear among parents and children. But so far as the security system of our school is concerned, we do not see any need to do more as of now,” said Amity International School Principal Vishakha Chitnis.

District Education Officer Manoj Kaushik told The Hindu that directions were issued to all schools in the district to tighten their security and a meeting has been called next week. “We have called a meeting of all private schools on Monday to discuss the security measures. Representatives of police department will also be present.”

The local administration had in November issued orders regarding safety of children, making it mandatory for every school to constitute a safety committees and appoint counsellors.