BENGALURU: Amid continuous rainfall across Karnataka, the School Education Department has instructed all government schools to implement urgent safety measures. School buildings must be inspected by engineers from the Public Works or Panchayat Raj departments, and safety certificates must be obtained, it stated in a circular.
If any classroom is found unsafe or dilapidated, they must be vacated immediately and alternative arrangements must be made. Students should not be allowed near construction or repair zones within school premises. Deputy directors and field education officers have been directed to collect real-time reports and prioritise urgent repair work using district or disaster relief funds.
Weekly review meetings must be held to assess school infrastructure. District nodal officers must visit schools and submit reports in the prescribed format by July 14, confirming that safe buildings are in use and all precautions are being followed, the circular stated.
The department has made it clear that any officer failing to comply will be held directly responsible for any untoward incident. The directive follows recent media reports highlighting the poor condition of school buildings in parts of the state during the monsoon season.