Journalism of Courage
While Abeda Inamdar Senior College, whose 14 students drowned in the Murud tragedy, may have announced that it will take at least a month to complete an internal inquiry into the incident, the state higher education department is in no mood to wait.
In a letter to Savitribai Phule Pune University, to which the college is affiliated, joint director of higher education Dr Vijay Narkhede has asked for an inquiry report on the incident and precautions taken by the college within 48 hours. Primary amongst the list of points asked in the report is whether the college management had complied with the Guidelines on Safety of Students on and off Campus of Higher Education Institutions issued by University Grants Commission last year.
The Indian Express was the first newspaper to raise the question of whether the college management had followed the guidelines. The department has asked the university to find out reasons for conducting the trip, if written consent of parents was sought, details of minutes of meeting taken by the college before the trip and whether these details were shared with students, among others. “Keeping in view the seriousness of the issue, we have asked the varsity to submit the report within two days at the most,” said Narkhede.
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School education department wakes up
The incident seems to have acted as an eye-opener for other wings of the state education administration too. School education department officials have written a two-page letter to all education officers in Pune division. Deputy director of education Ramchandra Jadhav has issued a 27-point guideline to be followed before conducting any school field trip or picnic. The very first point asks schools not to take students to beaches, rivers, lakes, ponds, water parks, adventure parks or other such places that can pose a risk to the children. Also, high school students have been forbidden from taking part in trekking and water sports. No permission will be granted for trips out of the state.
Other points include presence of one teacher for every ten students, circulating the itinerary among parents, asking for their suggestions and if need be then taking a parent representative along. Taking the consent of parents has been made mandatory. Once the location of the trip is decided, students are to be informed of its geography and likely challenges. They are also to be trained to deal with any untoward incidents. Only RTO-approved vehicles are to be used for the trips.
Overboard reaction?
The blanket ban on trips to beaches or lakes has not gone down well with schools. “What happened is tragic but the education department need not over-react. Yes, certain precautions should be taken, including avoiding beaches and rivers completely. But the guidelines should come up in consultation with school managements, as ultimately, we have to carry them out,” said Rajendra Singh, member of Independent English School Association, Maharashtra. Jadhav, however, defended his order, saying it was in the interest of students. “A school trip is meant to have educational value and hence it makes sense if students go to forts, places of historical interest or museums. What are they going to learn on the beach? Besides, such trips are too risky,” he said.
