Two days after the death of Riya Sagar, the Class 8 student of Amrutlal Virchand Jasani Vidyamandir (AVJV) on Rajkot’s Gondal Road—who died after collapsing in her classroom due to coldwave—the District Education Officer (DEO) issued an advisory, asking for delayed opening of schools in the morning in view of the cold weather.
Following the 14-year-old’s death, a note was pasted on the notice board of AVJV, which read, “ Due to the very cold weather, as ordered by the DEO (district education officer), the school hours will be 8:30 to 12:30 from tomorrow onwards. Every parent requested to take special note of this.”
Riya had collapsed three minutes after walking into her classrooom after the morning assembly, The Indian Express has learnt.
On Thursday, two officers from the office of the DEO of Rajkot camped in the school, talking to principal Asmita Desai and other teachers to prepare a report about the incident.
Riya’s father Kiran is a jeweller. The family hails from coastal Shil village in Mangrol taluka of Junagadh. The Sagars were living in Kampala in Uganda before the Covid-19 pandemic forced them to return to Rajkot a couple of years ago. The couple’s younger daughter, Nirali (8) is a Class II student in the same school.
The school principal has rejected suggestion that the school had debarred students from wearing woollens other than prescribed by the school.
The school is run by Shri Kathiawar Nirashrit Balashram, a charitable organisation founded in 1907 and which also runs an orphanage and an old-age home in the city.
Also Read: Fewer Students Opt For Standard Maths In Guj
