Closure order comes after school collapses

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: District Collector Dinesh Arora has ordered the closure of St Augustine School, Murukkumpuzha, where a building had collapsed on Friday afternoon. The closure order has been issued following a report submitted by the RDO, who inspected the school and found that the school authorities had failed to get the fitness certificate from the panchayat authorities. The District Collector, in his order, said that the school should not function until it obtains the fitness certificate from the panchayat authorities. The report submitted by the RDO to the Collector said that the building had collapsed due to the heavy rainfall.Most of the buildings of the school, which started functioning in 1924, are very old. About 700 students are studying in the school and the building which collapsed was not being used by the authorities at present. The RDO has reported that another building situated in the same compound is in a dilapidated condition and hence the school authorities have been asked to shift the classes functioning here immediately. In order to avoid further calamities, the matter was discussed with the people’s representatives and to avoid law and order problems, it has been directed that the fitness certificate has to be obtained from the Executive Engineer of PWD.Further commencement of classes will only take place after obtaining such a fitness certificate from the PWD and the panchayat authorities. The Collector has also directed the District Education Officer to issue show cause notice to the school manager for not obtaining the fitness certificate. It has also been recommended that the panchayat authorities be kindly instructed to inspect most of the old school buildings on a priority basis and take all precautionary measures considering the heavy rainfall in this season.