Mithun's classroom to remain closed as schools reopen

KOLLAM: Although schools will reopen on Monday, the Class 8B classroom where Mithun studied at Thevalakkara Boys High School will remain closed. The classroom was shut after the tragic death of the student, who was electrocuted on the school premises last year, and it will remain closed during the new academic year as well.

Mithun had joined the school only a short time before the accident, but had quickly made many friends. School authorities decided not to reopen the classroom to prevent painful memories from resurfacing among his classmates. Class 8B was located in one of the oldest tiled-roof buildings on the school campus. On July 17 last year, while students were playing in the classroom, a classmate's shoe accidentally landed on the roof of a nearby bicycle shed covered with metal sheets. Mithun climbed through wooden planks above the classroom's half-wall to retrieve the shoe. He slipped and fell onto a nearby three-phase electric line, resulting in his death.

Following the tragedy, the Class 8B division was shifted to another classroom. The three-phase power line that passed close to the building was removed the very next day. The old classroom building was later renovated, with iron mesh installed in place of the wooden planks and other structural changes made to improve safety. Experts who provided counselling to students after the incident advised school authorities not to bring back memories of Mithun's death, leading to the decision to keep the classroom closed.

The school building had reportedly received a fitness certificate from the Mynagappally Panchayat despite the presence of a three-phase electric line just eight feet away. The school is owned by a management committee controlled by the CPM. Former headmistress S. Suja was suspended after the incident and remained under suspension until January. She retired on March 31. Following the accident, the government took over the administration of the school. Mithun was the elder son of Manu and Suja from Vilanthara. On the instructions of the Education Minister, the Scouts and Guides State Committee built a house worth Rs 20 lakh for Mithun's family.

Continuous safety inspections this year
This time, all the government departments that had shown negligence last time conducted continuous inspections at the Thevalakkara school. In April, the Assistant Engineer of the Mynagappally Panchayat recommended several repair works to ensure the safety of school buildings. Officials from the Deputy Director of Education (DDE) and District Educational Officer (DEO) visited the school multiple times. Officials from the KSEB also conducted inspections. The school management reportedly carried out repair and renovation works worth nearly Rs 28 lakh to improve safety before the reopening of schools.