Fitness certificate delay leaves 61 schools in Kottayam in limbo

Even as schools resumed full-fledged functioning after reopening on Monday, uncertainty regarding the structural suitability of school buildings in Kottayam has not completely subsided.

According to estimates, 61 schools in the region have not yet received eligibility certificates, days before the start of the new academic year. Of the 915 schools in the district, 854 have received certificates so far. Although school administrations and Education Department officials claimed that there was no structural security problem, incomplete inspections emerged as a worrying situation.

School managements attributed the delay in issuing compliance certificates to confusion over which agency was responsible for conducting inspections. An earlier order from the General Education department had stipulated that compliance certificates should be issued by assistant engineers of the Local Self-Government Department (LSGD) after obtaining no-objection certificates from five other departments – Electrical Inspectorate, Fire and Rescue Services, Health, Forest and Wildlife and Department of Motor Vehicles.

Engineers carry KAT

However, LSGD engineers soon approached the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT), citing lack of expertise in assessing certain safety aspects. This led the government to issue a revised order last week, just days before schools reopened. This back-and-forth led to confusion and coordination gaps between departments, resulting in delays in completing inspections.

Meanwhile, official sources said inspections have been completed in 57 of the 61 schools awaiting compliance certificates and the issuance of certificates is now largely a matter of procedural formalities. An official said, “The conformity certificates of 5 schools, 3 of which are unaided and 1 supported, are not yet ready. While one of them has completed all the necessary work for inspection, the others have applied to the court. We have instructed them not to open the schools until they receive the certificate of conformity.”

A special team was created

Following the collapse of the roof of Government Central High School at Attakulangara in Thiruvananthapuram, on the day schools reopened, the District Education department constituted a special team to assess the structural stability of all government schools in the district. The special research, which will examine 308 public schools, is planned to be completed on Friday. “If any deficiencies are found, they will be reported to engineers,” the official added.