Gurgaon schools ask parents not to expose kids to Ryan coverage

Parents of Ryan International School, Bhondsi, where an eight-year-old was murdered on Friday, are also wary of sending their wards and asked the school to announce leave till the matter is settled.

Schools across Gurgaon are advising parents not to let their children watch news channels as reports of the brutal murder are affecting innocent minds.

Protesters set ablaze a liquor shop close to Ryan International School in Gurugram on Sunday. (PTI)

Parents of Ryan International School, Bhondsi, where an eight-year-old was murdered on Friday, are also wary of sending their wards and asked the school to announce leave till the matter is settled.

All branches of Ryan International School in Gurgaon declared a holiday on Monday and apparently sent a message to the parents. The group has three schools in Gurgaon.

The advisories were sent after parents complained that their children were questioning parents about the murder and discussing it at home and with their friends.

Parents of the Bhondsi branch said they did not receive any correspondence from the school management but they will not send wards till security and safety measures are strengthened.

Schools across the city are assuring parents that their premises are secure and safe. Salwan Public School, Sector 15 Part-2, requested parents to check updates on their mobile phones instead of televisions.

“The news of the murder will affect innocent minds negatively and they may come to school frightened. I have been getting a lot of emails related to safety and security of kids on the school campus. The email is to reassure parents that all the security systems, which include CCTVs, are in place and are being reviewed again thoroughly,” said Rashmi Malik, Principal of Salwan Public School in an email sent to parents on Saturday.

Emails sent by different schools said that the last few days have been harrowing for the education fraternity.

“We conduct regular awareness sessions on ‘Good Touch, Bad Touch’. Simultaneously, we encourage a system where in the communication channels are vibrant and every suspicious/abnormal behaviour of a student is communicated to the respective teachers and the counsellors. For the safety of the students and staff, a CCTV system is in place at all vantage points and is regularly monitored by competent personnel,” said Sudha Goyal, School director, Scottish high International School, Sector 57.

Parents are seeking mass support from the public to create pressure on the administration to enforce safety and security guidelines.