Team Herald
PANJIM: In a bid to make school buildings are safe and pose no risk, the Goa government will undertake a structural audit of all school and college buildings across the State to assess the current state of the frame.
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The decision to conduct the structural audit of school buildings was taken during a meeting chaired by Secretary (Education) Sanjay Kumar.
Kumar said that PWD engineers have been asked to inspect all school and college buildings – government and aided – to check the strength of every structure. “We have also asked them to check the width of staircases and to ensure that the buildings are made disabled-friendly.”
Kumar said that on the basis of the audit, the government will decide whether to repair or reconstruct by demolishing the weak buildings.
Directorate of Education Director (Administration) Varsha Naik said, “PWD, works divisions V, VIII, XVI and XXVII (buildings) will conduct the audit and submit the report to the government. Based on the recommendations, the government will undertake immediate remedial and preventive measures.”
“Similarly, all government aided school and college managements will be asked to conduct structural audit of their buildings and take preventive measures so as to ensure that structures are safe and pose no risk to students and other occupants. PWD engineers will supervise the audit of government-aided school and college buildings so as to know the real condition of these buildings,” Naik said, adding that they have been told to complete the structural audit as early as possible.
There are 742 government primary schools, 41 government middle schools, 78 government high schools, nine higher secondary schools and five government degree colleges. Also there are 282 government-aided primary schools, nine middle schools, 314 secondary schools, 86 higher secondary schools and 27 colleges.
The government has also decided to urgently undertake repair of five government primary schools. They are government primary school at 1st Bairo and Bundh in Santa Cruz, government primary schools at Vasco Main and Baina and the government primary schools at Paliem-Ucassaim.
“These five government primary schools need urgent repairs and we are looking for alternative arrangements there,” Naik said.
