Good Speech on “-“Safety in Schools”

                                              “Safety in Schools”

“Kumbakonam: 90 school children killed in fire”. “400 children & parents killed in Dabwali school”. Recently numerous students killed by a blast in Military school in Pakistan”. Cry the headlines. But most schools don’t seem to realize that fire engulf their gullible children, too.

Good Morning everyone.

Most schools have not taken the requisite steps to ensure the safety of the children studying there, although the Kumbakonam fire in which 90 children died should have stirred them to act. According to a survey conducted recently, most schools have only one entrance. They don’t have any fire fighting equipment worth the name. teachers and students have never heard of a fire fighting drill. Most of them do not even have the emergency number of fire brigade. There were sand buckets in a few schools but too few and without any sand. Even chemistry labs, canteens and auditoriums did not have any fire fighting equipment.

The post-Kumbakonam shock and concern should have provided the impetus for everyone to ensure that such a tragedy, which could have averted, does not occur again. No lessons were learnt from the fire tragedy that struck Dabwali, Haryana, in December 1995, in which approx 450 children and parents attending  a school function perished.

After every tragedy, there is a call for punishing the guilty, but the focus has seldom been on creating the right atmosphere for safety through proper equipment and training.

It is evident that there is no lack in legislation of laws rather we fail in there proper implementation. Coupled with it is the “chalta hai” attitude of the public and the parents who should be more active in making schools safe for their children.

The people as a whole will have to be involved in public safety by demanding it and actively participating in it. Fire fighting drills are common in schools and public institutions the world over. Why should India be any different? It is only through public involvement that greater awareness and consequent implementation of safety regulations would come about. Fire safety should be made the No.1 priority for schools and authorities.

Schools without adequate fire safety and other safety arrangements should be derecognized, deaffiliated or even closed. Otherwise, there will be periodic visitations like Dabwali, Kumbakonam and Pakistan’s recent military school attack .

Thank you!