Bengal to improve safety infrastructure in schools

West Bengal government will spend close to Rs 70 crore to improve structural safety infrastructure in schools.

According to Dushyant Nariala, principal secretary to the Department of School Education, West Bengal, developing a sound infrastructure in schools was at the top of the state’s agenda. Having good hygiene and clean environment, and making schools free from the scourge of tobacco, drugs and cyber threats would be the areas of focus.

“The state government has recently formed safety committees in schools to look into safety issues. There are altogether 25 safety issues which also include healthy food, nutrition, protection from outsiders, safeguard from cyber threats,” Nariala said at a School Excellence Conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here on Saturday.

Schools should lay emphasis on multidisciplinary learning and have individual plans for students. The system should involve studies in sports, art and extra-curricular activities, he said.

According to Nariala, the state government has developed close to 4,000 e-classrooms in 2,000 secondary schools. “Under the government’s ICT programme, 3,915 secondary schools have been provided with 39,300 computers in the past five years,” he said.

The conclave also provided a forum for discussing how a robust system can be built so as to enable schoolchildren to be future ready as they enter the professional world – be it jobs or entrepreneurship.

The conclave was attended by more than 100 teachers, including about 45 principals, headmasters and headmistress.

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