Serious questions have been raised regarding child safety and teacher accountability in government schools in Bihar. A shocking incident of negligence came to light on Wednesday at the newly established Primary School Ghorela Kairi in Bounsi block of Banka district. After school hours, a teacher locked the school and went home, leaving a six-year-old student, Karan Kumar, trapped inside.

Karan, a third-grade student, remained locked in the school for about two hours. Hearing the child's cries, villagers rushed to the spot and protested to get him out. Karan Kumar lives with his uncle, Vikas Chaudhary, in Ghorela Kairi village for his studies; his ancestral village is Pilua, and his father's name is Niranjan Mahto.

When Karan did not return home at the scheduled time, his family became worried. Soon after, cries were heard from the direction of the school. Villagers gathered and found Karan locked inside. Locals, including Vikas Kumar, Shankar Kapri, Pawan Chaudhary, Rajnish Kumar, and Mittal Mandal, accused the school management of gross negligence. They informed a female teacher by phone, who said she would come with the keys, but no immediate solution was found.

The Block Education Officer (BEO), Gaurav Kumar, was informed. About two hours later, assistant teacher Shravan Sinha arrived, unlocked the school, and rescued the child. Villagers' anger escalated during this time, leading to a major protest. Karan's family breathed a sigh of relief after his safe rescue, but the incident has raised concerns about student attendance and safety monitoring in schools. Villagers stated that a major accident could have occurred if the child's cries had not been heard in time.

Assistant teacher Shravan Sinha explained that since the headmaster was on leave, he locked the school after classes and went home. He claimed the five-year-old child had fallen asleep on a bench, and he did not notice him. BEO Gaurav Kumar stated that the matter would be investigated, and departmental action would be taken after the inquiry.