Bengaluru: What was supposed to be a fun trip for their son, turned out to be a nightmare for these parents. The recent death of nine-year-old Punith, who died of a snake bite at a resort in Nelamangala on Friday while on a school trip, has once again raised questions about the safety of children during excursions.
The Department of Public Instruction has specified that before any excursion, picnic or educationoal tour, the schools have to take written permission of parents and guardian, conduct safety orientation to students prior to departure, list contact numbers of parents/guardian for emergencies and ensure a proper student-adult ratio for supervision.
According to the guidelines, at least one adult trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, handling of off-site bathroom breaks and use of public transportation should be part of the trip. But not many schools seem to follow these guidelines.
Mr Vasudeva Sharma, a Child Right’s Trust member, said, “Such incidents have occurred in the past and will continue to happen, as people have ‘nothing will happen’ kind of attitude.
People nowadays think child protection policy is only about sexual harassment, but it is much beyond that. It is a complete guide, right from fundamental safety and security of a child to all encompassing issues. The schools should follow the dos and don’ts before taking children our on excursions and tours.”
To escape responsibility, many schools are known to take an undertaking from the parents that the administration is not responsible for any harm to the children during such trips.
Ms Anitha, a mother of two daughters, said, “The schools cannot shirk from their responsibility. Why are parents paying hefty fees to these institutions? The safety of our children should be the school’s prime responsibility.”
Legal experts said that the school should be held responsible for any untoward incident. “The school management should take reasonable steps before heading for any outdoor activity. Only if things are beyond their control, they cannot be held responsible,” said K.V. Dhananjay, a Supreme Court advocate.
Asked whether the undertaking given by the parents before sending their children on trips is valid, he said, “The undertaking is a worthless piece of paper.
It holds no importance in the court as it is the responsibility of the school to provide safety and security to the child. They cannot turn their backs by simply saying that they had the undertaking signed by the parents.”
Police issue notice to school
The Nelamangala police, who are investigating the case of nine-year-old Punith’s death due to negligence, have issued a notice to the St. Ann’s English School seeking details of the incident. The police are also investigating whether the school had taken permission before the excursion.
