Offline classes at Seventh Day Adventist School still on hold, parents request resumption

More than a month after the murder of a Class 10 student at Seventh Day Adventist School in Ahmedabad’s Khokhra, offline teaching remains suspended. On Tuesday, several parents and students staged a protest at the school with banners and slogans, demanding that physical classes resume.

They have also made a written representation to the District Education Officer (DEO), requesting the resumption.

Meanwhile, some parents have written to the DEO requesting inclusion in the parents’ committee formed on the Gujarat High Court’s instructions to look into safety measures.

Following the incident, a “Seventh Day School Jan Aakrosh Parents’ Sangharsh Samiti ” was formed. Acting on the high court order to ensure school safety, the DEO appointed a seven-member committee from this group to inspect security arrangements. The committee investigated various safety issues and handed in its report to the DEO.

The report notes that CCTV cameras were still missing in certain areas,, and first-aid kits are not kept in clearly visible locations. It also mentions that not every floor, lobby, or staircase has CCTV coverage, and the ambulance present belongs to another trust and is kept there only temporarily.

Recommendations include conducting police verification of staff, starting Classes 10-12 on a trial basis under government supervision, appointing a counselor, and keeping a complaints register. The committee also suggested banning students from bringing mobile phones and ensuring regular counseling sessions.