In response to a shocking machete attack at a Palayamkottai matriculation school, Tirunelveli district authorities have ordered daily bag checks across all schools, including matriculation higher secondary institutions, to prevent weapons and banned items from entering campuses.

The directive follows a Tuesday incident where a Class 8 student injured a classmate and a teacher with a machete, hidden in a textbook, over a months-old dispute about a pencil.

Chief Educational Officer M. Sivakumar announced that teachers must inspect students’ bags before classes, confiscating prohibited items like mobile phones, pen drives, memory cards, and sharp objects. Offenders face strict action, including police cases. “We need tough measures for the safety of our children and teachers,” Sivakumar said.

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The attacker, who surrendered to police, was referred to the Child Welfare Committee, while the victims, with injuries to head, shoulders, and hands, are stable in a private hospital.

The incident, the second violent student attack in the region in two months, has raised alarms about rising school violence, often linked to caste tensions. A March 9 assault in Thoothukudi left a Class 11 student critically injured.

Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran criticized the state’s law and order, urging CM M.K. Stalin for investigations and awareness campaigns. The 2023 Nanguneri attack on a Dalit student prompted a Justice Chandru-led committee to recommend banning caste markers and enhancing school safety, yet challenges persist.

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