CHENNAI: The school education department has released a new set of guidelines for conduct of block-level competitions under Kalai Thiruvizha to ensure the safety of students. Two students in Chinnasalem and Coonoor schools had suffered minor fire injuries while performing with fire during the competitions held at the school level last week.
According to the guidelines, the students can participate in the competitions only with permission letters from parents. The venue chosen for the events should be easily accessible by public transport and have safety measures like fire extinguishers and structural stability of classrooms, auditoriums should be ensured. Places that have abandoned wells and water bodies nearby should be avoided. The access to the terrace should also be blocked to prevent students from accessing it.
The hosting school should also ensure that there are adequate water and toilet facilities. Nearly 38 lakh government school students across the state are participating in the Kalai Thiruvizha, which is being held to promote the art and culture talent among them.