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Century old schools pose a threat to the safety of children in Kochi
99 government school buildings in Kochi are over a century old and may have been certified fit by the local self-government (LSG) department without proper inspection. An inspection by the disaster management authority is on the cards.
Close on the heels of the news that most school buildings in Vijayawada do not meet the Building Code norms, news has surfaced questioning the fitness of school buildings in the neighbouring state of Kerala. 99 government school buildings in Kochi are over a century old and may have been certified fit by the local self-government (LSG) department without proper inspection.
In typical reactionary fashion the figure was revealed in a report sought by District collector M G Rajamanickam after a 13-year-old boy lost his life in Kollam after a pillar collapsed at his school. The report was submitted by the deputy director of education on Thursday to the District Disaster Management Authority, headed by the collector.
An inspection of all schools will be conducted by the disaster management authority shortly. PWD will be roped in for construction purposes. Fitness certificates are mandatory for all schools irrespective of whether they are government, aided or private. Simply getting a fitness certificate is not enough; it needs to be renewed annually before the start of a new academic year.
"The fitness certificate is given to school buildings that are fit for use and do not pose any risk to its occupants. The local self-government engineer is in charge of granting certificates. In case of any accident, the LSG body will be responsible," said Shinemon M K, deputy director of education, Ernakulam.
These 99 government schools which are over 100 years old are not the only ones threatening the safety of students, there are many schools that are nearing 100 years or relatively old. "The number of government schools started growing in the 1970s. In fact, post 1979, we see a growth in the number of aided schools," said K C Sashikumar, administrative assistant, education department.
However, the guidelines issued by the fire and safety department do not apply to government school buildings as they are usually confined to the ground floor.
"The prescribed guidelines of the fire and safety wing are applicable only to the schools having a minimum of 2 floors and above. Such schools should have mandatory safety measures such as fire extinguishers, fire exit staircases or fire emergency water taps. But when it comes to government schools, we don't have any strict guidelines and can only make recommendations or suggestions. Around 90% of government schools do not come under our categories," said Sidhakumar V, assistant divisional officer, fire and rescue department, Ernakulam.
District collector M G Rajamanickam confirmed that the administration will rope in the PWD to ensure the safety of children. "If any of these schools are found to be in poor condition, help from PWD will be sought to renovate the building," said Rajamanickam
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