Hyderabad: Education department wakes up after school tragedy

HYDERABAD: Jolted into action a day after the tragic death of two students at New Century Public School in Kukatpally, the school education department on Friday suspended a mandal education officer (MEO) for alleged negligence and decided to seek structural stability certificate from all city schools within a week.
Manikeertana and Chandana, both Class IV students of New Century Public School, died when beams of a stage came crashing down on Thursday.

The education department went into a huddle and suspended MEO B Sridhar and issued a memo to Medchal district education officer, Vijaya Kumari, asking her to explain why inspection was not carried out at the New Century Public School.

"As per protocol, schools submit the structural stability certificate obtained from the GHMC while seeking recognition from the education department. The mandal education officer along with an engineer inspect the school and issue the certificate. But now, all schools will have to resubmit this certificate within a week," said an official from the department seeking anonymity.

Instructions in this regard will be issued to all the schools shortly, he said.

‘Dilapidated portions to be demolished’

Medchal DEO Vijaya Kumari held a meeting with school representatives on Friday to accommodate students of New Century Public School in nearby schools. Sources said there are plans to demolish rickety portions of the building. The school education department will also consult GHMC engineering department to chalk out further course of action and will issue instructions to all private schools to follow safety standards strictly.

Meanwhile, school managements blamed education department for not being proactive to prevent such accidents. “Government issues instructions and cracks the whip on schools only when such accidents occur. It has to be proactive in identifying such structures so that lives are not lost. It cannot ask schools to suddenly run from pillar to post to obtain a certificate,” said Srinivas Reddy, president, Telangana State Recognised School Managements Association.

He referred to a 2016 incident, wherein the government issued instructions to schools over functioning of lifts after a student of Sri Chaitanya Star Kids School, Dilshuknagar, died after getting stuck in a lift.