Most state board schools unprepared for terror attacks: Educationists

The terror attack on an army school in Peshawar also raises questions about how prepared schools in Mumbai and New Delhi are if faced with a similar situation. The answer is not reassuring at all. While most of Mumbai's international schools have an evacuation plan, no such concept exists in most state board schools.

Shaken by the Peshawar massacre, the city's state board schools and colleges have finally woken up and are planning to chalk out an evacuation plan and train their students how to react to a terror attack through mock drills. Some schools are even planning to request the local police to regularly patrol the premises.

Amol Dhamdhere, director of Sanjivani International School, Kharghar, said, “Our school has an evacuation plan for each floor so that students and staff can escape in times of crisis. Most state board schools don't have such plans. We are now considering organising mock drills at regular intervals for our students in all Indian Education Society schools.” Dhamdhere said adding the government should help state board schools conduct mock drills by inviting organisations that will not charge schools for the exercise.

Echoing similar sentiments, Mehak Gwalani, vice-principal of KC College, said, “I think we will now have to consider holding a mock drill for students so that they are aware of what to do in such a crisis.”
Alice Vaz, principal of Ryan International School, Kharghar, said, “Though we have CCTV cameras installed everywhere in the school, we may not be able to identify suspicious people the police do. We will be requesting the police to patrol our area during dispersal time.”

Prashant Redij, spokesperson of Maharashtra State Principals Association, said, “The school principal is responsible for setting up an evacuation plan. Schools do conduct mock drills, but they are designed for the students to escape in case of a fire, not terror attacks. Hence, the association will now write to the organisation of retired armymen so they can come and conduct a workshop for students on how they should react to a terror attack.”

On Tuesday, most city schools observed two minutes' silence to pay homage to the children who lost their lives in the Peshawar massacre. 

Similarly, schools in the national capital sprang to action and beefed up their security. The HRD ministry will issue a circular on the guidelines to schools to ensure safety within the next two day. Schools, malls and public places were put under high alert by the police. 

The school authorities at Modern School, Barakhamba in New Delhi said strict security has been maintained in the school. “We had the necessary security arrangements in order, but now we will take more steps and be vigilant,” said an official in the school administration. 

Mrs Sen, principal of the Tagore International School said the school held a two-minute silence. “Every child should know, it is immaterial what country, caste to creed they belong to. Children are children. They can't be made victims of terror,” she said. Needless to say, the security in the school has been heightened, and the entries are thoroughly screened. 

Special Commissioner (Law and Order) of Delhi Police Deepak Mishra said they had sounded out schools about increased security. “The gates must be closed once children are in, entry must be screened, and PCRs should be patrolling from time to time in areas where schools are located. Local police must also keep an eye,” said Mishra, whose team carried out special drills at the India Habitat Centre, a South Delhi temple and a metro station on Wednesday following intelligence reports. 

The Delhi Directorate of Education, will come out with a circular in a few days. An official said the directorate will hold a candle light vigil with 1000 children at the Central Park in Connaught Place on Thursday with nearby NMDC schoolchildren in solidarity. “We have not thought of specific arrangements yet. But, every two to three months, we carry out routine drills and checks in all schools with the help of Delhi Disaster authority,” said the official, who did not want to be named.