Thiruvananthapuram: More than a week after a class 8 student was electrocuted on the campus of Thevalakkara Boys High School in Kollam, the state government on Saturday dismissed the school management and took over the administration of the school. According to an order issued by the Director of General Education, S Shanavas on Saturday, R Thulaseedharan Pillai was disqualified from the position of Manager of the school and the District Education Officer (DEO) of Kollam was given charge.

The order noted that Pillai was held accountable for dereliction of duty and lack of caution. He was served a showcase notice on July 18, and he responded on July 22, stating that there was no intentional lapse on his part in ensuring student safety and that he had tried to execute his duties with responsibility. The department found this explanation unsatisfactory and dismissed him. 

Mithun (13), a student of the school, was electrocuted after coming into contact with a live electric wire near the cycle shed on the school campus on July 17. The incident sparked widespread outrage, raising questions about the safety of school infrastructure. The Education department provided a justification that a circular was issued to ensure safety in schools before the school reopening, but the management failed to abide by the directions. The police have registered a case naming the school manager, the headmistress and a KSEB official as the accused.

The department took over the school's administration as per the relevant section of the Kerala Education Act,1958.

The section says that whenever it appears to the Government that the Manager of any aided school has neglected to perform any of the duties imposed under this Act or the rules and that in the public interest it is necessary to take over the management of the school for a period not exceeding five years. The Director of the General Education Department, in his report, has cited grave oversight on the part of the management, according to  Minister for General Education V Sivankutty.

Responding to the action, Thulaseedharan Pillai, who is also a local CPM leader, stated that the previous management, under the supervision of a lawyer, had constructed the cycle shed near the electricity line. However, he expressed grief over the death of the boy.