Jaipur: The education dept Tuesday directed officials to carry out a fresh inspection of all school buildings across the state to assess their structural safety, including those identified as dilapidated last year.Additional chief secretary for education Rajesh Kumar Yadav issued directions while chairing a review meeting on the safety of school buildings, repair works, ongoing construction projects and student safety arrangements in govt schools.Yadav said student safety was the dept’s top priority and stressed that dilapidated or unsafe buildings must not be used under any circumstances.“A thorough reinspection must be conducted not only of the school buildings identified as dilapidated earlier but also of all buildings currently in use. Officials must physically verify every building and ensure strict compliance with all safety standards and regulations,” Yadav said.He directed officials to seal any building or classroom found unsafe and submit a fresh report on its condition.Yadav also instructed officials to complete repair and construction works within the stipulated timeline while maintaining quality standards.“Adequate financial sanctions have already been issued for these works. There should be no unnecessary delays,” he said.Officials informed the meeting that development and construction works in more than 2,000 schools announced in the 2025-26 budget have already been completed. Construction and development projects worth around Rs 550 crore are scheduled to be taken up during 2026-27.The directions came a day after schools reopened across the state. On Monday, a major mishap was averted at a govt senior secondary school in Sri Dungargarh in Bikaner district after the roof of a locked classroom was found collapsed.School authorities discovered the collapse while inspecting the campus before students arrived for classes. Officials said the incident occurred during the summer vacation when the school was closed.
