The Lucknow Bench of the High Court has voiced serious concerns over the safety of school children in Uttar Pradesh, focusing on a lack of inspections for the past 14 years, despite Supreme Court guidelines set in 2009. This issue was highlighted during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by residents near the Gomti River Bank in 2020, who raised concerns about schools operating in residential areas. A division bench of Justice Alok Mathur and Justice Brijraj Singh noted the state’s failure to inspect schools according to the Supreme Court’s 2009 judgment in the Avinash Mehrotra case, which emphasized implementing strict safety standards for educational institutions.

The state government informed the court that inspecting all 141,000 schools in Uttar Pradesh would take approximately eight months. They presented an action plan for inspections, detailing that teams of experts from civil engineering, fire safety, road transport, and the education sector would evaluate each school’s structural safety and security protocols. The court stressed that each inspection must be videographed to ensure transparency and accountability.

The court also focused on the issue of transportation safety for younger students. Schools near Hazratganj and Raj Bhavan were previously directed to provide pick-and-drop facilities within their premises for children up to class 5, as a measure to address traffic and safety concerns. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Prabal Pratap Singh, present during the hearing, reported that only three schools had complied with this directive. Responding to this non-compliance, the court appointed senior advocate J.N. Mathur as amicus curiae to liaise with school administrations and encourage adherence to the guidelines.

During the hearing, the court summoned records from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for meetings held over the past two years, aiming to understand the authority’s role in enforcing school safety guidelines. The court warned that if it found NDMA inactive on this matter despite the Supreme Court’s directives, it would issue further orders to enforce compliance. The High Court’s intervention underscores the importance of enforcing safety protocols in educational institutions, in alignment with Supreme Court guidelines and broader disaster preparedness efforts.

The next hearing is scheduled for November 11, when updates on inspection progress, compliance with NDMA guidelines, and school management responses are expected. The court’s proactive stance reflects a growing urgency to ensure that the safety of schoolchildren is given priority across all institutions in Uttar Pradesh. This case highlights the broader implications of enforcing safety standards within the education system and the need for strict adherence to Supreme Court mandates to protect students and reassure parents about their children’s safety in schools.

(This article is a reworked version of a PTI feed)