Parents of Schoolgoers  Discussion Forum

Before you blindly apply and accept admission at Shriram, be sure to evaluate the infrastructure at the school and make peace with it. Parents from the school have been complaining of numerous issues with safety, security and infrastructure at the school ranging from nursery kids left unattended to dangerous and unsafe buses to children fainting because of even fans not working in the sweltering Gurgaon heat. The latest laxity is a child molestation case on their campus
Many parents might have missed the blurb about the molestation case. It was a small blurb in Indian Express. What was disconcerting was not just the incident itself but the reaction from the school authorities. They blamed the parents for sensationalizing the incident and being aggressive in asking for answers. They refused to take any responsibility or share any plans to avoid this happening again all this while shooting down any constructive suggestions from the parents for improving safety on campus. In fact, this has prompted some parents to pull their children out from the school.
Kapil replied. I believe saying molestation is putting it mildly. I understand the poor child was raped. TSRS has a unique response to problems - they just ask the parents to handle the problem. Need people to manage traffic at rush hour, call the parents, need supervision on school bus, call on parents. They are unwilling to accept any responsibility.
What is worse is their disaster management - the initial response is not our problem. Then they come up with a well defined and sound set of procedure which will be followed going ahead. The school responds under pressure to problems, but it does not do the right things to prevent problems in the first instance.
Look at the school bus by the look of it they are poorly maintained. Several of the drivers look dis-reputable. There are no safety grills on the windows. No teachers on board. Drivers frequently speed along their merry way sailing through red lights as they please. But of course TSRS will see no problem until there is a crisis. Will it take a child being crushed to death to make the school to take simple steps for safety. Much can be done even if they cannot afford school owned buses (which I am sure they can since their fees are amongst the highest going) - the school could play an active role in selection of drivers, ensure all drivers are neat, clean and uniformed, ensure drivers frequently attend defensive driving classes, ensure all buses are safe by inspecting doors and making sure windows have grills, ensure an educated adult, preferably a teacher is on board the bus with children. Simple things really but will they do it? Probably not, this school is past its hey day they are now no better than any other school with class sizes rapidly rising, too many sections causing too many kids for the facilities available. Under paid and over worked teachers don' t help either. They really have nothing more than a reputation to offer - and that they are fast destroying by waiting for disasters to respond to instead of taking preventative measures to stop disasters occuring.