Educating students towards safety management is need of the hour: Sisodia

Educating and sensitising our students towards safety management is the need of the hour, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday.

"Developing a 360-degree understanding of disaster management is very important in our city, especially in unauthorised colonies and slum areas. The need to educate children about disaster, not just limiting to their schools, but even at homes, and in their daily lives is very important," the minister said.

"We should enlighten the kids and sensitise them towards safety hazards with respect to architectural and structural faults of their homes, schools and other buildings. If we teach our children about disaster management, I am sure they will evolve as thinking adults who will strive to abide by the safety parameters in their homes, schools and nearby buildings. We have to empower our young minds to question the serious safety hazards they are exposed to in their day-to-day life," he said.

Sisodia, who is also the Education Minister, added that students should be encouraged to speak up whenever they find faults with respect to safety in their surroundings.

He was addressing at an event, "Honeywell Safe Schools Program", organised by SEEDS, an NGO.

"We have to encourage the children to speak up without a shudder. They should be brave enough to highlight the safety hazards identified by them in front of their parents, their neighbours, teachers and even their leaders. We should not just give them knowledge but also encourage them to speak up whenever they come across a loophole," Sisodia said.

The minister said corporates and social organisations should work to highlight the issues that go unaddressed by the government.

"The corporates and the government should work hand-in-hand to address the issues faced by society. They should work to highlight the issues that go unaddressed by the government.

"We have to work on three points with our students - first, they should develop an understanding towards disaster management, to identify right from wrong while maintaining a safe environment; second, they should develop a firm resolution towards exposing safety hazards of their surroundings and third, it is important for all of us to evolve from safe schools to strive towards making a safe city and safe life for ourselves," he added.