Govt says no tour without nod, starts inspection of school vehicles

Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday issued guidelines to schools in the state in connection with the students' school tour.

Death of three Tamil Nadu students near Pune while on educational tour has prompted the state government to impose severe curbs on school tour programmes.

From this year, it shall be organised only with prior permission from government, time and destination must be planned at least two months in advance and should be finalised only after consultation with parents.

Noting that the tour should not exceed han four days, the schools should also take into account the prevailing weather conditions of the place they wished to go on tour.

Stressing the need to create awareness on safety aspects to be followed by the students during the tour, the guidelines said that the visiting rivers, lakes and ponds should be avoided during the tour.

Meanwhile, checking of vehicles engaged by schools to transport students began on Tuesday. Officials from the Transport and School Education Departments, and the police carried out the inspections according to the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles (Regulation and Control of School Buses) Rules, 2008.