News
Children’s safety at school: Who is responsible?
View(s):Despite the recent accident at Ananda College where a student was killed when he was pinned against a wall by a turf roller, school authorities still do not seem to take the safety of students in their care seriously.
The Sunday Times captured a few incidents where children were in situations where they appeared to be at risk.
A particular incident captured by our cameraman was an instance at a school in Panadura where children were seen at the of top of a four-storied building under construction.
Our picture shows them wandering on the top storey of the building. ”It was only last week the media highlighted the death of a student at Ananda College.
“But teachers seem to have forgotten and fail to take action to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents”, said Sarath Kumara Gunawardena, 45, a parent from Panadura.
However the authorities say in schools island-wide they have tightened safety measures to prevent similar accidents at schools.
Accordingly prefects, teachers, private security firms and occasionally parents are assigned duties to help safeguard children at school.
![photo_2](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140202/uploads/photo_2-198x300.jpg)
Danger: Unsupervised children in fancy dress play atop an unprotected semi-constructed 4-storeyed school building at Panadura
![photo_4](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140202/uploads/photo_4-300x243.jpg)
A policeman sits by the heavy roller involved in the death of a student
![photo_1](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140202/uploads/photo_1-300x234.jpg)
With the cost of living soaring some parents are forced to send their children in overloaded trishaws such as this one
![photo_3](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140202/uploads/photo_3-300x160.jpg)
Authorities say safety measures at schools have been tightened to prevent accidents at schools