Several parents of students studying at St John's Universal School (ICSE) in Goregaon are reluctant to send their children to the shaky school. On the evening of January 10, those inside the school's premises felt tremors and vibrations in the building. The school's management decided to appoint a private firm approved by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for a structural audit of the building and declared a holiday. On January 13, DNA was the first to report on the school declaring a holiday.
Despite the school reopening on Monday after 12 days, several parents were still reluctant to send their wards to the school, fearing the structure's safety. Parents have written to the state government expressing their apprehensions over the 48-year-old building's safety and quoted the illegalities of Kamala Mills Compound, where a major fire broke on December 29, 2017, as a result of flouting safety norms, for emphasis.
A parent said, "St John's Universal School resumed on Monday after 12 days but many students remained absent. Every parent was worried about their child's safety. The school's management has given us the structural audit report's front page however we wish to see the entire report and not just the certificate." The parents also plan to demand a structural audit done by an authentic organisation like IIT-Bombay or Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI).
Shalini Jaiswal, principal of the school, told DNA, "We have submitted the audit report to the BMC. We have received a proper stability certificate stating that the building is safe and stable. It's an internal issue of the school."
QUOTE:
The school has only sent us a certificate from the structural audit report. On Monday we asked them for the detailed report.
Chanda Jadhav, officer, P/South ward
