Patiala;- A student died and a girl's arm was amputated at Carmel Convent School in Chandigarh in 2022 due to a tree falling. The school management and the Chandigarh Administration had announced an assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the family of the deceased girl and Rs 10 lakh to the girl whose arm was amputated.
But the parents of the children appealed to the Punjab Haryana High Court that their children suffered due to the school's mistake. Now the Punjab Haryana High Court has ordered the school management and administration to pay Rs 1 crore to the family of the deceased child and Rs 50 lakh to the other child. The High Court judge said that the negligence of the school management and administration is due to the safety, protection and help of the children, because the accident took place at the school.
Similarly, on 23 December 1995, due to a sudden fire at the DAV School in Dabwali during the annual function, 426 students, teachers and citizens died due to smoke inhalation, which was considered the negligence of the school, and the court ordered a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of each deceased.
Similarly, due to a fire in the nursery at Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, senior doctors and management were held responsible for the death of five children, and the doctors and nurses had to go to jail and lose their jobs and pensions as per the rules and laws. Because the judges said that the responsibility of doctors is not only to treat but also to protect and help the patients.
In 2012, the Supreme Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the formation of student safety committees in schools under the Safe School Vehicle Policy for the safety, protection and assistance of students, and the committee members should meet every month, inspect the school and record the action in the register. Under this policy, students, teachers and shopkeepers in the area should be trained twice a year by subject experts on first aid, fire safety, traffic rules and laws and mock drills should be conducted once a year.
Under the Right to Education Act 2009, orders have also been given to the management and principals to make appropriate arrangements for the safety, protection, assistance, first aid and fire safety of students in schools.
Even today, no training exercises are conducted in schools for the safety, protection and assistance of students and teachers. 90% of government schools do not have fire extinguishers, first aid boxes, nor are trainings conducted for the safety and help of students and teachers.
Private and recognized schools have fire extinguishers, but there is no provision to provide first aid to students during emergencies. Students, teachers, nearby people, shopkeepers, committee members are not trained or practiced on the proper use of cylinders and first aid boxes. Whereas the Supreme Court and governments have ordered to make preparations and make suitable arrangements on the basis of priority for the safety of students.
According to the Safe School Vehicle Policy and the Right to Education Act, affidavits should be taken from the heads of schools about the arrangements and trainings made for the safety and help of students and teachers. The officials of the education department should also take information about the work done for the safety and help of children during the meetings of the heads of schools from time to time.
Because they are given jobs only for the safety of children.
Whereas in any accident, the district administration, education department, fire brigade, ambulances and police personnel reach the places of incidents after receiving information, after 20/30 minutes and in villages after 50/60 minutes, whereas in fires, gases, electricity, petroleum incidents, buildings, trees, vehicles falling, heart attacks, cardiac arrest, head, brain, stomach and chest internal injuries, poisoning, fainting, shock, sugar blood pressure drop, excessive bleeding, the victims die within a few minutes. In such situations, only trained teachers, students and nearby people or shopkeepers have reached for immediate help.
In this regard, the district administration, education department, school principals, teachers and school management committee members have become responsible that the safety, rescue and help of children should be done on a priority basis as per the humanitarian and rules and laws.
Because in the courts, decisions are made according to the ages, salaries, rules and laws of those who died or were injured. Cases are also filed against school principals by parents. Due to which many institutions have also been closed.