Shillong, May 12: A day after the death of the Loreto school girl, education minister Ampareen Lyngdoh has asked teachers to adopt a new commitment towards students to facilitate proper mental growth.
Celine Laitphlang, a Class IX student of Loreto Convent, jumped off the first floor of the school building after she was caught with a cellphone on May 5. The use of cellphones is banned in schools by the government. She was admitted to a city hospital after she suffered head injuries. However, the girl died of her injuries at the hospital last night. To prevent unrest in the school today following the girl’s death, a holiday was declared after a prayer meeting.
Lyngdoh, who was with her relatives last night, also interacted with the school authorities. “We feel saddened by the incident and it is unfortunate that the family lost a dear member,” Lyngdoh said.
According to Lyngdoh, this was not the time to blame any one, but to take lessons from the incident and take corrective steps to improve teacher-student relations.
She also appealed to the parents and students to remain calm and not panic after the incident. Lyngdoh said the affluent schools in the state should make additional efforts to ensure the psychological well-being of the students.
“There should be a renewed commitment on the part of the teachers to address the mental health of the students. The trauma caused by a situation can trigger a spontaneous reaction, just like the Loreto school incident,” she said. She desired that all the schools should have counsellors to listen to stressed students and help them.
According to Lyngdoh, the sensitivity of the students should be understood by the teachers to prevent any similar incident in future. Celine’s parents are yet to recover from the shock of their daughter’s death.
“The parents said whatever happened was beyond their comprehension,” Lyngdoh said. She also said she would try to get factual details on what really led to the incident.
Celine had a good academic record and scored 96 per cent in social sciences. She also took part in cultural activities of the school.
