Monday, 15 JULY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Education department will take strict action against private schools which are found to be non-compliant with the dengue guidelines issued to them. Following recent directives from the Education department, all private schools were instructed that students must wear full sleeves shirts in order to enter the school premises. Despite these instructions, many students from various private schools in Dehradun have been observed wearing half sleeves shirts when attending school. Regarding this, the National Association for Parents and Students Rights (NAPSR) has urged the Education department to diligently enforce the dengue guidelines in private schools.
A parent of class V student, Suchitra Chauhan said that she has observed several students entering her son’s school in half sleeves shirts despite the guidelines. Many parents of these students have claimed that there have been no reported cases of dengue yet, and students find it uncomfortable to wear full sleeves shirts due to the heat, leading to other health issues like dehydration and a feeling of suffocation, she added.
Considering the leniency of private schools in Dehradun towards the dengue guidelines, the president of NAPSR Arif Khan highlighted the lack of adherence to dengue guidelines in private schools in Dehradun. Khan said that the Education department tends to issue dengue guidelines annually as a mere formality without ensuring proper implementation. He said that private schools, including those affiliated to the ICSE and CBSE boards, do not strictly enforce the requirement for students to wear full sleeves school dress, allowing them to wear half sleeves instead. Khan added that the Education department should enforce stricter measures by issuing new guidelines specifying that any private school permitting half sleeves attire will be held accountable for their students’ well-being if they contract dengue in the future. Additionally, he emphasised the need for the department to ensure maintenance of the government school premises by regularly cutting grass to prevent dengue outbreaks in schools.
Chief Education Officer (CEO) Pradeep Rawat told this correspondent that despite the guidelines issued, there are some schools that are not adhering to them. In light of this, he has decided that if any school is found admitting students without full sleeves shirts, he will promptly dispatch a team of officials from the department to that school and ensure that strict action is taken against it. He emphasised that private schools should not allow students to enter without wearing full sleeves shirts.
