TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Over 1,200 students and 50-odd teaching faculty members of Dempo Higher Secondary School of Arts, Science and Commerce began the academic year 2015-16 from the new integrated school complex at Cujira amidst a few complaints. Administrator Sunil Prabhudesai confirmed that classes for all the three streams began at 8:15 on Monday morning.
A section of parents expressed reservations about shifting to the Cujira education complex citing safety issues, besides its location on the outskirts of Panjim. “The work at the complex is not over. Construction of other school buildings is going on. Safety of the students, particularly girls, is a major issue,” one parent said.
Parents also fear the possibility of students being exposed to communicable diseases owing to a large number of workers engaged in the construction of other schools in the complex. “The construction will result in the clogging of water during the monsoon and also risk of labourers being infected with water-borne diseases. It can affect our children’s health too,” another parent said.
Parents had earlier petitioned Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar requesting him to ask the institution to postpone the move to after the Diwali festival citing these problems.
The Dempo authorities claim they have ensured safety of the children on all fronts. “The compound wall is coming up. We have also decided that no students or any staff will be allowed to enter the HSS premises until they display their identity cards. Those students who want to exit the premises before classes end, will have to take an exit pass,” Prabhudesai had earlier told Herald. The management also claims to have taken other precautionary measures such as disinfecting the premises and maintaining cleanliness.
Nonetheless, the spacious structure consisting of all the required facilities has impressed students and their parents. The two-storey building, including the ground floor, has 23 classrooms, laboratory to accommodate 60 students at a time, common ladies room for 150 students, a full-fledged medical centre and day care centre for children of the HSS staff in addition to other facilities. The library has capacity to stock 50,000 books, which is four times more than its present structure at Miramar.
Dr K B Hedgewar School was the first institution to shift to the new location on July 18.
