The September of 2017 will forever be etched in the memory of hundreds of thousands as a month when schools all across the country woke up to the fact that it can no longer be indifferent to required security norms, that need to be followed to ensure the safety of a child.
After an uncertain time of a little over two weeks, there is respite for worrying parents and students.
Ryan International School, Sohna Road, opened its gates on 23 September for a Parent-Teacher Meeting so as to assure that the children will not waste further academic time in uncertainty. The road to the school was a slush of red soil, with vehicles parked on both sides.
Close to the gate were media vans and journalists, cameras and microphones to remind me about the tragic loss of seven-year-old Pradyumn to a brutal murder in the school premises. Heavy as the air was with the grim reminder, in my heart, I walked in with fingers crossed for things to get better.
One hasn’t probably paid attention to the trauma that the academic staff has gone through as well since 8 September. The teachers have also been subject to questioning by the investigating teams, sometimes for hours on end, that extended to as late as nine pm. The husbands of these teachers have silently stood by their spouses, ensuring they were not left alone in the premises.
While buses refused to bring the teachers to school for questioning by the investigating team, the husbands of these teachers have been supportive. Many of these teachers have young children at home.
There seemed to be an air of relief as well in their eyes. It gives me assurance and hope that things will get better. The teachers were encouraging and even before I asked questions, they briefed me on what has been done in the past two weeks.
Even as we were speaking to the teachers, final touches to the administrative work were being put into place. For a change, people were doing what they were supposed to be doing and the changes showed.
So yes, finally, the school reopens for classes on Monday, 25 September. For the moment, the term exams that the students were in the middle of have been cast aside. I do not have a problem with that. The focus will be to complete the syllabus by November.
Towards the end of November or early December, the term exams will be scheduled, followed by pre-boards for the 12th grade in January. I am relieved. Throughout these past weeks post 8 September, the teachers have been quietly comforting and helping students through WhatsApp, keeping them apprised of their academics and answering queries of both parents and children.
The teacher I met has been teaching my daughter two of her subjects since 11th grade. She briefed us that all bus drivers and attendants have undergone police verification and have been cleared for continued employment.
Two attendants will be in buses along with the bus driver to ensure the children’s safety in the buses. Female attendants have been assigned duties for all the toilets, ensuring that lights are functional, grills fixed, boundary walls are fixed, windows fixed, CCTV cameras functional and in place. An application called ABC Traq is to be downloaded from Playstore with which the GPS enabled buses can be tracked by parents.
What is heartening to note is that, quite proactively, a Committee of Parents Association has been formed which includes the Principal, the Safety and Security Officer, the School Accountant, and two parent representatives who will be always available to respond to all safety and administration related queries.
Identity Cards are being made to ensure no unauthorized person enters the premises. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Vinay Pratap Singh, IAS, has also appointed two Counsellors for the children to consult if required. Take a bow Mr Vinay Pratap Singh.
The DC was scheduled to address concerns of parents from 3 pm to 4 pm at the school. Seating arrangement had been made for facilitating the same. I did not stay back for that. The teachers have adequately answered my queries.
While the authorities have appointed a new Principal, Mrs Sandhya Lal has taken over as Vice Principal and was there at the school. She is from the School Management. Mrs Neerja spent the past three days assisting and helping with the smooth transition of charges, as Mrs Lal takes over.
All this is great. Let this be the “shock therapy” the country needed to wake up to, in order to understand the criticality of safety in schools. I hope the things that have been set in place stay. I hope the School Management learns that it cannot ignore such pertinent requirements for the well-being of children who study in the school. I hope for hope to remain in each of our hearts.
I hope for a smooth academic year for the students and especially for those students who are appearing for their boards early next year. I hope CBSE looks into the situation and makes it viable for the students, instead of getting caught up with bureaucratic shenanigans. Hope is such a powerful spark. For today, I, as a parent, am grateful.
(Sandhya Suri is a retired naval officer and the parent of a student who goes to Ryan International School, in Gurugram. This is a personal blog and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
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