The state urgently needs to make up its mind. Once and for all.

After drumming in the ears of the public and mainly parents that Chitrakoot School should be closed, the governemnt has suddenly changed its approach to review the situation. A technical committee will be set up to see whether the school really has to close and the pupils transferred to Vallée-des-Prêtres school.

After the prime minister ? and the cabinet as a whole ? made it clear on several occasions that they were supporting their Education colleague, Dharam Gokhool, come hell or high water, it is astonishing to see the same minister Gokhool reopen the case. During the whole conflict between the Chitrakoot inhabitants and the government, he had appeared as a responsible minister who had his heart set on the safety of all children. After insisting that there was no way of doing any repairs to that same school, he has now changed his vision.

How can the government expect to be trusted if it changes its mind each time there is uproar against one of its decisions? It is even more serious in that specific case, as it is a matter of safety.

Next time the government uses such arguments to close a building, it should not be surprised to see that no one takes it seriously.

Such dilly-dallying should stop if the government wants to keep its credibility. Several reports have been done by consultants for successive governments. Each seems to have had difficulty to make a final decision on the fate of that school.

But if there exists the slightest risk that this school could be dangerous for children, the government should settle the question. Parents may indeed love their children more than anyone else but they are no experts in the field. The government?s duty is to go beyond popular decisions to take responsible action that will benefit the population at the end of the day.

The PM?s adviser, Dinesh Ramjuttun, may well be in a good position to sound out the feeling of the population but he is no expert in the field either. "The PM will have to review some of his decisions.

Otherwise, he will have to take his responsibilities," he said.

This is just the role of a PM, Mr Ramjuttun! He is not supposed to rule the country with just the idea of being re-elected within the next five years. No one is naïve enough to believe that this does not influence some decisions. However, it should in no way jeopardise the welfare of the majority.

That the government plans to rebuild another school in the area is certainly a good decision. But backing down on such an important decision, based on facts, may well play against its sincerity.