Special schools beef up security

KOLKATA: The drowning of a four-year-old boy suffering from autism in a hydrotherapy pool inside a school for special children inside the Army’s Eastern Command headquarters on Wednesday has made several city institutes catering to differently-abled kids beef up security measures around their therapeutic pools and across campuses.
Manovikas Kendra has deployed more attendants at their pool to prevent such accidents. Director Anamika Sinha said, “So far we had one attendant for four students but now we will have one for every two. This will allow the attendants and therapists to be more vigilant. We have also decided to increase the number of teachers present during playtime. At the outdoor field usually two to three teachers accompanied ten students which will now be increased. Parents, too, will be roped in for monitoring.”



Since the school has a therapy pool, there are several security measures already put in place. “We have always kept the doors leading to the pool closed. Our pool has been constructed inside a room which remains locked and is thus inaccessible. Without supervision, no child is allowed to approach the pool,” said Sinha. The pool at Manovikas Kendra is a shallow one, she added.

Leena Bardhan, secretary of Noble Mission in Mukundapur which teaches specially-abled kids said she has asked the staff to be more vigilant. “We have all safety measures in place. But, I’ve told our staff members that if there is any untoward incident, then responsibility will be fixed and there will be no escape. Situational analysis will be done.”

Inclusive school Akshar is taking measures as well. Neena Singh, executive director of of the school said such incidents are analyzed by the school’s safety committee. “The committee will discuss the issue and check if the measures present in our school needs to be enhanced.” She pointed out that there is adequate security from corridors to the outdoors. “Even when children are walking to the bus, they are accompanied by attendants. We have 500 children and there are 60 teachers which is our usual proportion. Twenty per cent of our students are with special needs. In junior classrooms, every section has an additional member-attendant to keep an eye,” Singh said.

Iona Kundu, founder chairperson of Mentaid – a registered parent organization running a special school - demanded a proper stricture by the government. “On Monday, we will hold a staff meeting and relook at things in this light and then take necessary measures,” she said.