After Student Found Dead In The Bathroom, Kolkata School To Implement Washroom Time Monitoring

A few days ago, in Kolkata-based G. D. Birla Centre for Education, a student from class X was found dead. Around 2 pm, some students discovered her with her wrist slit and her head wrapped in a plastic bag.

At the scene, people also found a suicide note. However, there is no certainty that the handwriting was hers. And on June 27, another girl from a school in Kolkata attempted suicide by cutting her wrist but was rescued by the school authorities.

A few days following the first incident, a school in Kolkata has made a new rule on tracking student’s washroom time. The rule is said to be in effect from July 1. The Telegraph reported that the said school is the South City international school located in south Kolkata.

John Bagui, the school’s principal, said outside the washroom, there would be registers as well as staff to make sure that if anything bad occurs, the school will know the child’s location.

The school acknowledges that extensive monitoring would be needed for the rule to be implemented. But this is for the children’s safety.

Last year, at one of the reputed schools in Delhi, a student from class 2 was murder.

Washrooms become student’s escape room in school but they can also be a place for unexpected activities.

According to a teacher, the rule would be for students’ monitoring and stop “those things” from happening. The school is aware that the rule can not fully deal with bullying and guarantee 100% safety.

Besides the new rule, the school has also implemented an “extra-mile program.” With this initiative, the teacher will come to the students’ home for their living environment assessment. The school has informed parents about the move, however, none of them agree to be a part of the program.

In the suicide note, the girl wrote about how she was under mental pressure. And for three months, she hadn’t slept. So if the note did belong to her, instead of implementing rules on washroom’s time, schools need to care more about their students’ mental health condition.