Schools told to keep tab on students

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 20

While investigations are on to ascertain whether the Blue Whale challenge was behind the suicide by 10-year-old boy of Bagdi village in Theog subdivision of Shimla district on September 12, the Education Department has asked the educational institutions to take immediate steps to “avoid and prevent” any such mishap or unwanted incident.

Instructions have been issued in view of media reports regarding deaths due to Blue Whale Game.

BL Vinta, Director, Higher Education, said, “All educational institutions have been directed to ensure safe academic environment and take pre-emptive action to check any inappropriate activity besides keeping a strict vigil on the students while they use the Internet.”

He said the teachers should talk to students regularly, explore the online world together to promote ethical and safe online behavior and ensure that the students accessed Internet in their presence.

As per instructions, the institutes have been asked to keep a close watch on behavior of the students and resort to student counselling or consult a child psychologist with the consent of the parents in case of unusual behavioural change such as lack of communication, fading interest in studies and falling grades.

He said, “In case it is found that any student is already playing the Blue Whale Game, he or she should be immediately stopped from using Internet and his friends and parents be informed.” 

Vinta said the parents were being advised to have full control on all online devices used by their wards and keep a watch on their Internet activities, adding they should be apprised of game so that they remain vigilant about the activities of their children at home.

The institutions have been told to follow the instructions strictly and any laxity would be viewed seriously, Vinta said. Meanwhile, the teachers unions have also asked its members to be vigilant especially in urban and semi-urban areas where the craze for mobile and computer games among students is more. 

The family of the deceased boy had said that he played games on mobile but categorically stated that the unfortunate incident had nothing to do with the Blue Whale Game. However, the Blue Whale connection is being probed as the language of the suicide note had raised suspicion.

‘Promote safe online behaviour’ 

• Director, Higher Education, said the teachers should talk to students regularly, explore the online world together to promote ethical and safe online behavior and ensure that the students accessed Internet in their presence.
• As per instructions, the institutes have been asked to keep a close watch on behavior of the students
• They have been asked to resort to student counselling or consult a child psychologist with the consent of the parents in case of unusual behavioural change such as lack of communication, fading interest in studies and falling grades.
• The institutions have been told to follow the instructions strictly and any laxity would be viewed seriously.