Are schools buildings safe enough for children? Can schools ensure that incidents—like the one at Vasavi Vidyaniketan School in Basavanagudi—do not take place?

The answer is yes and no. Metrolife visited some schools in Bangalore and found that while there are schools which are particular about safety within their premises, others have not really thought about it as there have been no major accidents. However, schools located close to the main roads are particular about the road safety aspect and have taken adequate precautionary measures.

The B M English School on St John’s Road near Sivan Chetty Garden is a three-storeyed building. School Principal KSV Subramanyam said they have completely raised the height of the parapets and in places have covered it with wire mesh. S Rajesh, the MD of the school, which now has a new ICSE school building on Hennur Main Road near Kothanur said, “Schools come under the public and semi-public building category and are built according to the BBMP guidelines. However, additional safety measures are left to schools’ discretion.”

Kamala Nehru Boys’ High School on  Nittoor Srinivasa Rau Road in Basavanagudi, has low parapet walls. The first and second floors have fairly low walls and the third floor has horizontal and vertical railings in addition to a  short parapet. The headmaster of the Boys’ High School is confident about the safety of the children. The school has two stairways to prevent the crowding of students. “We have teachers and physical trainers who stand by the stairs, at the gates and at different locations in the school to oversee children. We never leave them alone,” assures M V Sheshagiri. 

Often schools are accommodated in buildings which were originally not meant to be schools. Residential buildings have been converted into cramped school premises. Often these schools have no playgrounds and make use of public grounds in the vicinity, which is also a matter of concern.

SVVP English High School in Banashankari is a two-storeyed building, which probably was a large house before. It houses 330 students. The space in front of the school, large enough for only two cars to be parked, becomes a playground. The parapet wall of this school too is not high enough.

But principal of this 30-year-old school, N K Nagamani, says the safety and security of students are ensured by an arch-like protective covering on the ground floor. She says most students who study in this school live close by. The security guard and older students and house captains ferry the smaller children across the traffic ridden stretch. While, the smaller children are housed on the ground and first floors, the older ones are on the second floor.

Shalini English High School in Lingarajapuram is a three-storeyed structure. The walls on the ground floor are raised and have a mesh above it. The parapet walls on the first and second floor have fairly low parapet walls. The school authorities say that the height of the wall on each floor has been constructed according to the age of the child studying in each floor. While the older ones are on the first and second floors, the younger ones are on the third floor. The height of the parapet on the third floor is tall enough to prevent a small child from leaning over, says Rani Kumar, of the administrative section. Children are watched during lunch hours and in the evenings when they leave, says the authorities.

St John’s High School on St John’s Road says it was only a year ago that the school board decided to install a wire mesh on all the floors of the five blocks in the school. School Principal Rani Rajkumar said, “The school has 3,000-plus students. The teacher student ratio here is usually one teacher to 58 students per class. Meshes and grills have been put along stairways and gaps between the stairways as well.”

R V Public School in VV Puram, as a safety measure, houses students in Classes I and II in the cellar of the school. The UKG and LKG are in the ground floor and the older children have their classes on the floors above. “The students are watched at all times by the teachers. House captains and prefects ensure the safety of the rest of the children. The guard at the gate and the older children help the kids cross the road in front of the school,” explains R Seetha Ganapathi, the vice-principal.  

Little’s Sonia’s case should perhaps be considered as an eye-opener for other school authorities to review their safety measures and prevent such tragic incidents.

WHAT THE EXPERTS HAVE TO SAY...
Experts thinks it’s time the Government constituted an expert committee to review and revise the safety measures in schools across the City. It is imperative that every school ensures a child-friendly environment both in terms of infrastructure and academics.

“It is the era of commercialisation of education where the safety of the child is overlooked. The education department must evolve clear cut policies when it comes to granting recognition and permission to start an educational institution,” says Dr Niranjanaradhya V P, senior research officer, Centre for Child and the Law, National Law School of India University. 

Commenting on the safety measures, Dr Niranjanaradhya says the ideal teacher-student ratio in the lower classes should be kept at 25. “Children are at their creative best during this age. They cannot be controlled. Protection is absolutely necessary to them,” he says.  

He also suggests that lower classes must be located on the ground and first floors and the higher classes on the floors above. The parapet walls must be more than two and half feet in height and be strengthened with grills or meshes to prevent children from peeping down. Every school must be equipped with a full fledged first aid centre with a doctor on call and a staff nurse in emergency situations.

Nandita Srinivas, an architect with Design Edge and an interior designer believes the two things that are important in designing any school building are the height of the railing and the stairway.

“The height of any parapet wall cannot be negated. A thick wall would be better than straight solid bars. One can use perforated metal sheets with holes to let air and light. A toughened glass is another good option because even if the glass breaks if would leave a powder instead of jarring sharp edges,” she explains. Balustrade ralings (railings on walls) is a another option.

Nandita also feels the stairways at school must be replaced by ramps. Gentle sloped ramps are preferred to steep stairs. Landscaping areas close to pits and common areas where children play ensures safety of the child.
NCG