The tragic death of a Class 8 student at Thevalakkara Boys’ High School in Kollam has once again exposed the glaring gaps in safety compliance in educational institutions of Kerala. The incident has reignited concerns over dangerous infrastructure in school premises, which continue to be neglected despite clear government guidelines.
In a circular issued on May 13, the General Education Department had laid down detailed safety instructions for the 2025–26 academic year. Among them was a directive to prioritise the safety of students and eliminate any hazardous conditions before schools reopened. Yet, the private aided school in Thevalakkara, managed by the CPM’s local committee, failed to comply.
“If public paths, school surroundings, compounds, electric lines, wires, or fencing structures in or around the school premises are found to be in a hazardous condition, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) authorities must be notified immediately, and appropriate safety measures should be taken,” the circular stated. It also mandated fitness certificates for all school buildings including rented structures and called for the removal of dangerous trees and branches within campuses.
The KSEB’s Executive Engineer admitted that the overhead power line had been in place for 40 years, and that precautions had been taken to prevent sagging. However, the shed on the school premises, where the student was electrocuted, had been built eight years ago without KSEB’s approval. Though the school had blocked access to the shed by sealing a classroom window with wood, the area remained unsafe. Just two days before the incident, a KSEB assistant engineer had flagged the shed and suggested replacing the exposed line with an insulated cable.
The school’s Principal, S Suja, confirmed that the issue had been raised with KSEB, and that the board had responded saying the line would soon be replaced. Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty added that only a week ago, KSEB had sought formal permission from the school management to shift the line and install a supporting pole. But the management reportedly deferred the decision, saying it would be discussed at the next committee meeting. School manager Thulaseedharan Pillai, said the power line had been there for decades and had not been perceived as a threat because “no one had gone near it before.”
But the core question remains: Why weren’t these formalities completed in time, especially when the Education Department’s circular explicitly instructed schools to address such hazards before reopening?
Unsafe transformer in Alappuzha school compound
The Kollam case is not an isolated one. In Alappuzha, the Chunakkara Government Vocational Higher Secondary School is facing a similar safety threat. A high-tension transformer and several exposed fuse units have been installed within the school compound, dangerously close to areas where students regularly move around. Despite a near-tragic incident last year where a student suffered an electric shock from the transformer, no action has been taken to relocate or secure the installation.
Around nine fuse units, many of them open, are positioned just behind the transformer. The connected electric lines are in a visibly unsafe condition. Students and the public frequently pass by the spot, which is located near a busy road. A board reading “HS Transformer” is the only visible precaution at the site. Fuse boxes fixed to the school library wall are also left open and are easily accessible to students.
According to teachers, repeated requests from the PTA and school staff to the KSEB to shift the transformer have gone unanswered.