Monsoons are here and hence, the Kochi district disaster management authority, which falls under the district collector, has decided to gear up to bear the brunt. The authority will be supervising the initiatives that schools in the district are taking, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
With regard to the same matter, different sections heads from the education department (this includes both at the school and collegiate level), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) state coordinator, the fire department and the police met at the collectorate on July 4, Tuesday.
As per sources from the education department, when it comes to safety protocols at schools, it has been implemented in educational institutions that fall under the state education department. "However, it has been not so in the case of the CBSE schools. There was no proper monitoring mechanism for these institutions. Taking into consideration the lack of such a facility, the CBSE state coordinator proposed certain measures that have been approved for implementation," said the sources.
The proposal
Indira Rajan, State Coordinator for CBSE schools, explained the measures taken by schools by saying, "At the meeting, I put forth a proposal which was to divide the around 210 CBSE schools in the district into four zones and then appoint two people per zone to monitor the safety measures being implemented by the institutions."
Rajan went on to inform that the concerned persons will then collate the information on how school campuses can be made safe and pass it on. "They will also be responsible to see that the measures are implemented properly and report back to the committee specially formed for the purpose at the collectorate," she added, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Felling of trees
Officials were directed by the district collector to take care of trees near the schools on an urgent basis. "The District Education Officer and Assistant Educational Officer should take steps to ensure security in schools under their jurisdiction. The respective local bodies should take steps to remove the trees. Steps should also be taken to cut the trees on private properties that pose a danger to the school. If there are problems that cannot be resolved, the District Disaster Management Authority should be informed immediately," said the collector.
"To ensure the safety of school vehicles, the Department of Motor Vehicles has been directed to make inspections stricter. Steps should also be taken to ensure the fitness of school buildings. Fire audits should be conducted in schools. Apart from government schools, CBSE and ICSC should also take measures to ensure security," informed the collector.
In as many as 58 schools, disaster management cells have been initiated in Kochi district and this falls under the district panchayat. Soon, this will be extended to all other schools as well. Children will receive disaster prevention training via the cell and 25 children from each school will receive this training, he stated.
