In Alappuzha, even dangerously old buildings are given only cosmetic touch-ups ahead of Pravesanolsavam, Kerala’s annual school reopening festival. Recent incidents in which the roof of the Government UP School in Karthikappally and the compound wall of Vettathuvila LP School in Chennithala collapsed due to age and neglect highlight the gravity of he problem. Thankfully, both incidents occurred on holidays, sparing students from harm.

Following the collapses, the Education Department and Local Self-Government Department (LSGD) engineers have begun inspecting school buildings to assess their structural safety. However, these are not isolated cases. Many schools across the district are ageing and pose real threats to student safety. Here's a closer look at some of them.

Accidents waiting to happen
Several schools remain vulnerable despite repeated warnings. Parents are now hoping that the ongoing safety inspections, spurred by these accidents, will finally lead to lasting solutions. Overgrown campuses are another common concern. Though cleaned using excavator machines before the academic year, weeds return with the rains. Reptiles often find refuge in these bushy areas, and teachers are forced to spend from their own pockets to keep campuses clear.

Government HS, Thirunalloor 
Requests to demolish the old roadside building of Government HS IN Thirunalloor have gone unheard, even though it no longer has a rafter and its roof is covered only with a makeshift sheet. The site is now infested with reptiles. Despite having a nearby high school block with a fitness certificate, classes are not being held there due to leakage and poor condition. Two old toilet buildings also remain unusable. An electric cable dangerously dangles along the path from the auditorium to the computer lab.

GLPS Keerikkad 
The compound wall was pulled down two years ago for national highway construction, but was never rebuilt. Now, only a metre separates young students from fast-moving traffic on the adjacent service road. Repeated pleas from parents and local organisations have gone unanswered. The wall was promised under the employment guarantee scheme, but construction awaits joint demarcation by the panchayat and the National Highways Authority, a process that too has been delayed.

Government Model HSS, Chengannur 
The Government Model HSS in Chengannur was formed by merging four schools, including Keezhcherimel Government JBS. Yet, a decades-old building has still been retained on campus and now houses Anganwadi No. 97. With broken roof tiles and unsafe conditions, complaints have been raised about continuing operations in the building. Chengannur municipal chairperson Shobha Varghese has assured that relocation of the anganwadi will be arranged soon.

Government LPS, Ulavaipu 
The school kitchen continues to leak, and despite complaints, no action has been taken by the Thaikkattussery panchayat. Constant water exposure could weaken the concrete, increasing the risk of a structural collapse.

New buildings, old Problems
While many new buildings have been constructed in recent years, most have been allocated to high school and higher secondary students. In campuses where all classes, from Lower Primary to Plus Two, are conducted, LP students often end up in the oldest, most unsafe buildings. This has sparked concern and discontent among parents. Most schools receive only minimal annual maintenance, and even century-old structures are left standing with just cosmetic repairs.

The Government UP School in Karthikappally, where the roof collapsed, was 150 years old. The collapsed compound wall at Chennithala Vettathuvila Government LP School was part of a 40-year-old structure.

Minister orders immediate demolition of unsafe school buildings
Meanwhile, Minister P Prasad has directed officials to immediately demolish all unsafe and dysfunctional school buildings in the district. The directive was issued during a meeting convened to review school safety. The minister also instructed officials to cut down dangerous trees and overhanging branches within school campuses, while the KSEB has been asked to remove low-hanging power lines and install fencing around nearby transformers. Other key directions include restricting student access to unsafe buildings, with enforcement from Tehsildars, preparing a detailed list of unsafe structures through joint inspections by school heads, PTA members and representatives from the Local Self-Government and Education Departments.

Deputy Director of Education ES Sreelatha reported that out of the 760 schools in the district, 714 have fitness certificates, while 46 have only temporary ones. Among 2,150 anganwadis, 2,074 have fitness certificates.MLA Thomas K Thomas and Deputy Director of Disaster Management C Premji were also present at the meeting.