Kolkata: In the wake of the death of Diptangshu Mahato, a class 12 student who had died after swallowing scalding tea at Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, school administrators met current and former students on Sunday, and promised several corrective steps.
The role of the housemasters has been widely criticised after the incident. When Diptangshu’s friends rushed to a housemaster for help, they repeatedly asked him to inform the headmaster, but he did not respond. This delay ended in the death of a bright student.
The issue was discussed at the meeting. The authorities said all housemasters have been removed, and new housemasters will be recruited after proper assessment.
The authorities also said that all hostels for students from classes 5-12 will now have a monk in charge, under whose supervision the housemasters will work. The school also promised to set up a grievance cell where students can file complaints about any issue. The authorities said student privacy will be strictly protected.
Several students said they were afraid to speak up because they feared being assaulted by housemasters. Some of Diptangshu’s friends said last week that after he sipped the extremely hot tea, he was afraid to spit it out because of this fear.
The school authorities said all gaps will be addressed to improve the campus environment and prevent such incidents in future. They also said they will ensure that no student is physically hurt under any circumstances.
The school is now closed. During this period, the administration is trying to identify all the problems by speaking with current and former students. The school will also speak with parents before reopening.
A member of the alumni association said, “We raised several points in the meeting, which the Secretary Maharaj listened to patiently. The concerns raised by the students were also heard. These matters have been forwarded to Belur Math for a final decision. We have faith in them, and hopefully, such an accident will not be repeated.”