The teachers at the Government High School, Thengode in Kakkanad keep their desks mostly empty, in case they need to move them quickly. The school currently has no designated staff room. Instead, benches and desks are arranged in the assembly hall as a temporary setup. The staff room has been converted into a classroom after the building that housed classes 1 to 6 became unsafe for students. A portion of the ground behind the building is slowly eroding, causing serious concerns. This year, the Public Works Department (PWD) revoked the building's fitness certificate.

To make room for the eight rooms in that building, teachers were forced to rearrange classrooms and make other adjustments. The staff room and IT lab were repurposed to accommodate students. Their auditorium was divided into three sections for different classes, and even a single classroom was split into two. 

“It’s difficult. Even with the doors shut, noise disruptions are constant, and classrooms feel crowded and it is not easy for children,” said a teacher at Thengode school. “The auditorium leaks during rain and is affected by strong winds. So, we rotate classes every two weeks except for 9 and 10. We can’t let all students suffer. About 150 children study here," she said.

The building, constructed about six years ago by Thrikkakara municipality at a cost of ₹80 lakh, is structurally sound, but the land around it has become unstable. “We’ve raised complaints to every authority. They all promise a solution, but it’s taking too long,” she added.

According to Thrikkakara Municipal Chairperson Radhamani Pillai, a private party extracted earth from the area nearly a decade ago, leading to gradual erosion. “The landslips are happening just 2.5 metres away from the school building. Taluk surveyors inspected the site two days ago and will prepare a sketch. The panchayat has set aside ₹30 lakh to construct a side wall," she said.

“We need the sketch to avoid future land boundary disputes during construction, that is why the project is lagging. We have contributed ₹4 lakh to establish classrooms in other parts of the school," said Noushad Pallachi, Chairman, Education Standing Committee, Thrikkakara Municipality. “Our initial plan was to do the needful after the PWD built a side wall. But since that wasn’t sanctioned and the rain worsened the situation, the municipality stepped in," he added.

Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden told Onmanorama that he has taken up the issue with the District Collector. The Parents Teachers Association office bearers also expressed concern. "The soil erodes constantly. It has created a depression that is around 10-30 feet deep. The building near has kindergarten, upper primary, and lower primary classes. We approached several ministers and MLAs, and finally, Education Minister V Sivankutty directed officials to take action in June. It’s been over a month since classes began in the makeshift rooms, but no financial assistance has been provided by the authorities so far," said Meenu Sukumaran, PTA President.