Empty coffers, safe classrooms? Financial crisis threatening Kerala’s school reopening

ALAPPUZHA: A recent government directive transferring the responsibility of ensuring school building fitness to Local Self-Government Institutions (LSGIs) has triggered a crisis in Kerala, with local bodies struggling to secure funds for essential pre-monsoon maintenance.

With the new academic year approaching, local authorities find themselves financially hamstrung, unable to cover basic expenses like painting and campus cleanup. The crisis stems from massive state arrears; the government owes local bodies over ₹3,000 crore—amounting to one-third of their total development fund—alongside the final two instalments of their annual general-purpose grant. This leaves individual panchayats and municipalities short by at least ₹25 lakhs each.

The maintenance backlog is extensive. Following the summer recess, campus grounds are overgrown with weeds and accumulated waste. Classrooms require deep cleaning, structures need painting, toilets demand urgent repairs, and leaking roofs, sheets, and waterlogged ceilings must be replaced. Storage tanks also require sanitisation.

Safety is a paramount concern this year. Following the tragic incidents of student fatalities due to electrocution and snakebites on school campuses last term, the state has mandated a strict 17-point safety protocol. This includes rigorous upgrades to structural integrity, electrical safety, and sanitation.

While community volunteers may handle basic cleaning, school authorities are in a bind over major civil works. Compounding the issue, Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) has failed to provide infrastructure budgetary support this season. With an early monsoon forecast, headmasters and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) are highly anxious about meeting the fitness deadlines. The only silver lining is under the District Panchayat, where previously sanctioned projects are currently being tendered and executed.

According to official estimates, making older schools with a strength of 100 to 200 students fit for reopening will cost between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh. For larger institutions, the budget easily exceeds ₹5 lakhs.

The scale of the undertaking across Kerala is massive:

• Government Schools: 4,619
• Aided Schools: 7,152
• Total Institutions: 11,771
• Student Population: 2,927,513

Acknowledging the financial strain, the Directorate of the Local Self-Government Department stated that local bodies are currently forced to divert funds from other critical development projects just to keep school maintenance afloat.