School ignored many warnings - Delhi - City

11th of sept 09
NEW DELHI: Just when it had seemed the story of Delhi government schools could only get rosier from here came Thursday's shocking stampede at a Khajoori Khas school that left five children dead. What added to the chagrin of victims' parents was the fact that despite several warnings from the police, the school had made no effort to rectify the structural flaws in the building or to step up security.
The school authorities were so lax that even when some 1,200 students were being shunted through a 4.5 feet wide staircase, there were no teachers to maintain order. Girls who survived the ordeal talked of being pushed and shoved by rowdy boys. Though the rains had been continuing since Wednesday night, the altered seating plan had not been decided in advance, causing the last minute melee.
Even as education department implements its ambitious Roopanatar to change the way government schools look, the building of Government Senior Secondary Boys/Girls School Khajoori Khas did not even follow the National Building Code (NBC) of India. The stampede happened in the only staircase leading to the second floor of the building. According to an expert, there should have been at least two staircases. "The staircase should have railings and not walls on either side to prevent mishaps,'' he added. This one was bounded by walls on either side making it a death trap.
According to NBC, a school should have fire safety measures like fire extinguisher, hose reel and other fire-fighting equipment in place but the school has none of these. There is just one gate which gets overcrowded in the afternoon when the girls' school gets over and the boys' school starts.
A local resident whose daughter studies in the school said: "The girls are often teased and pushed by the boys when the shift changes.''
According to a parent, Attar Singh, a resident of Khajoori Village, "There are no guards even though it is a girls' school'' something which police feel could also have helped in preventing the eight fatal accidents on the Maujpur- Khajoori Khas stretch in past one year involving students from the school.
The hutments (temporary arrangement) where the boys took their exams were in bad shape and despite repeated reminders from parents, the school authorities never got them repaired, alleged another parent. Government denials flew thick and fast. Education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, said: "All reports about the school building being in a bad state and the stairs being narrow are false. The building is in good condition and the stairs are five feet wide.''
Officials, in fact, claim that whatever lapses may have taken place, it would have been the responsibility of the school authorities. Said a senior official, "The fact that seating plans were changed at the last minute because of the rains is indicative of the irresponsible attitude of the staff. Why weren't enough teachers deployed to supervise the change of examination hall?''
Admitted director of education, Chandrabhushan Kumar, "Nothing like this has happened ever before. Walls collapsing because of heavy rains or some such incident is still understandable, but not a stampede." And while Kumar wouldn't comment on the role of staff for the incident no teachers or staff was injured at a time when government schools are breaking stereotypes, it raises many uncomfortable questions for his department.