DoE tells schools to secure periphery to keep strays out

Panaji: Following Supreme Court directives, directorate of education (DoE) has issued a circular to all schools in Goa to put up fences or gates securing institutes’ to prevent stray dogs from entering.

Institutions must appoint a nodal officer and inspect school premises every three months to ensure no stray dog habitats exist.“Administrative heads of educational institutions shall ensure that premises are secured by adequate fencing, boundary walls, gates, to prevent the ingress of stray dogs. The said exercise shall be completed as soon as possible and preferably within a period of eight weeks from the date of the (Supreme Court) order.

The present status in this regard shall be communicated to DoE on or before Nov 17,” the circular stated.The management of every educational institution will have to designate a nodal officer responsible for the cleanliness of the premises to ensure that stray dogs do not enter or inhabit the campus,the directorate has told schools.During inspections, if schools find any stray dogs habitats within or in the immediate vicinity of the institutions, the municipal body or village panchayat should be intimated accordingly to remove every such stray dog, the DoE said.

“Details of the said officer shall be displayed prominently and notified to the jurisdictional municipal body/authority,” it stated.“A report in this regard shall be submitted within a week after every three months (that is, after March 31, June 30, Sept 30, and Dec 31 of every calendar year to this office. Every educational institution shall conduct awareness sessions on preventive behaviour around animals, first-aid and immediate reporting protocols,” it stated.DoE said school managements should adhere to SC directives for student safety.