Plans will be drawn up at the district level to speed up inspections and issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to schools on the fitness of their buildings before schools in Kerala reopen next month.
Instructions have been issued through the District Collectors to facilitate the process of issuance of NOC by the respective departments to the schools in the district.
There may be 800 to 1,000 schools in the district under the general education department and departments like Fire and Rescue Services and Forest will have to verify the schools before issuing NOC, officials said.
In this context, the district collectors convene meetings of the heads of the unions in the districts. Nodal officers will be appointed at the district level to streamline security measures and inspections. In this direction, they will coordinate with the departments of general education, health, fire and rescue, public works, motor vehicles and local government.
Efforts are on to complete inspections in all schools before the rains, officials said. Schools have to apply to the department to get NOC. Also, school principals must demonstrate school safety in order to obtain a Certificate of Competency of School Buildings from local government departments.
Officials said that although some departments lack the staff to inspect such a large number of schools, they promised that the schools would be covered.
The meeting of teaching staff was also chaired by the additional director for general education.
Instructions have been issued to speed up the maintenance of old structures. School buildings that are not in use should be completely closed to children. Drinking water wells and tanks should be chlorinated. Weeds and undergrowth should be cleared and kept free of reptiles. The electrical wiring needs to be checked. Trees and branches should be removed if they pose a safety hazard. Eligibility of school buses should be ensured.
Published – 07 May 2026, 21:09 IST
