E-Paper
Ludhiana: Admn to issue SOPs for schools while taking students on excursions
On December 1, Guru Nanak Public School (GNPS), Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, had faced the ire of the authorities for taking nearly 150 students to the Sidhwan canal on a cleanliness drive without seeking permission from the administration, irrigation department or the civic body
Five days after the authorities of Guru Nanak Public School (GNPS) at Sarabha Nagar faced the wrath of both Ludhiana deputy commissioner and the Municipal Corporation for taking students out on a cleaning exercise to the Sidhwan canal without permission, the administration will be issuing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for schools to be followed while taking students out on excursions.
On December 1, Guru Nanak Public School (GNPS), Sarabha Nagar, had faced the ire of the authorities for taking nearly 150 students to the Sidhwan canal on a cleanliness drive without seeking permission from the administration, irrigation department or the civic body.
Students had reached the 15-ft canal bed with the help of an iron ladder fixed on the canal wall and also set the collected waste on fire. The municipal corporation (MC) had also slapped a fine of ₹25,000 on the GNPS for burning the garbage.
Deputy commissioner Surabhi Malik had marked an inquiry into the incident. Malik said that schools must exercise due caution while inculcating social spirit and safety of schoolchildren must remain paramount.
Later, school principal Gurbhej Singh Nagi expressed regret over the incident in his explanation. He said the school had received a letter from the NCC director general for conducting a cleanliness drive under the Puneet Nagar Abhiyan (PNA).
Confirming the development, additional deputy commissioner, Khanna, Amarjit Bains said the need for setting up guidelines was felt after school students were made to clean the canal without permission of the authorities.
Bains said he would meet the district education officer (DEO) to chalk out a strategy for formulating a set of guidelines to be followed by schools. He said it has been noticed that some schools take children to forest for boot camps and trekking not knowing about the challenges it involves.
The SOPs will help educational institutions to follow safety protocol and by keeping the department concerned in the loop to be able to find timely help in case of emergency.
“For instance, if any school initiates a forest walk for students, in such cases forest staff and the wildlife department should have the prior information about the excursion trip for better monitoring and guidance,” said Bains.
He said similarly, the civic body or railway officials will ensure preparedness if children are visiting any public park or railway station for study tours.
