Friday, 25 August 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Amid a rise in the number of dengue cases in Dehradun, various schools have been served notice for allegedly not complying with the administrative and health guidelines. Recently when dengue cases were first reported in the State, the Education department had instructed schools to take all the necessary precautions including full uniforms for students and proper sanitisation in the premises. However, many students in the city are disregarding the guideline by wearing half sleeves shirts at school. The school management is failing to prevent them from entering the premises without proper uniforms.
Regarding this matter, the Dehradun chief education officer Pradeep Rawat has acknowledged reports stating that certain private schools in the city are not adhering to the dengue guidelines. In response, he said that he has personally conducted inspections of both private and government schools. If any school is found to be non-compliant with the prescribed dengue guidelines, the Education department will issue a warning notice to them, he added.
The president of the National Association for Parents and Students Rights (NAPSR) Arif Khan told this correspondent, “It’s true that many schools in the city are not complying with dengue guidelines. The government issues guidelines to promote efficiency, yet fails to prioritise their proper execution. Merely conducting inspections will not compel school management to adhere to these guidelines. The Education department should take decisive action like issuing challans to non-compliant schools.”
He further said that implementing a change in the school’s dress code, specifically transitioning from half sleeves to full sleeves shirts may pose challenges for financially disadvantaged parents. Considering this, the school should permit these students to wear casual attire in order to protect them from dengue, he added.
