In Lucknow on November 9, two female students, one of whom has a physical disability, found themselves locked inside Rashtrapita Mahatma Gandhi Vidyalaya Rajkiya Girls Inter College. Unfortunately, the teachers, who failed to notice them in the classroom on Wednesday, were unaware of the situation.

Rakesh Kumar, the district inspector of schools, revealed that the principal, Ritu Shukla, was on maternity leave, and another teacher, Kirti Pandey, temporarily assumed the role of principal. An investigation is currently underway, and appropriate action will be taken against those responsible once the final report is available.

The students remained locked inside for several minutes until the teachers returned to open the gate. Regrettably, incidents of this nature are not uncommon in government schools. A similar event occurred on September 24 at a government primary school in the Sisandi area of Mohanlalganj block in Lucknow. Teachers, unaware that a student was still inside her classroom, locked the school shortly after the school day ended.

In a separate incident in July 2022, 10 teachers, including the headmaster of a government primary school in Hathras district, faced suspension for leaving the school premises and locking the gate while a second-grade student was asleep in the classroom after regular school hours.