TIRUCHY: A Class VII student of the 32-year-old Panchayat Union Middle School in Koothappar near Tiruverumbur was injured after the withered roof of the institution collapsed on Wednesday.
As many as 91 students, in classes VI to VIII, as well as six teachers, including the headmistress, are accommodated in four classrooms in the school. Residents of Koothappar claimed that the school building was constructed in 1983 by the panchayat and no major renovation work has been done so far.
Sources said that on Wednesday, while the classes were going on, pieces of roof tiles came crashing down and fell on Balamurugan (11), a Class VII student, in which he sustained a major fracture in the right leg. Soon, he was rushed to a nearby hospital.
On information, parents and locals gathered near the school and demanded that their wards be sent with them. They also urged the State government to construct a new school building to ensure the safety of the students.
Later, Education Department officials and police personnel rushed to the spot and conducted an inquiry with the teachers and Balamurugan. Jothi, the headmistress, said none other than Balamurugan was injured in the incident and the rest of the students were taken to a safe place after which they continued their classes.
“As soon as funds for maintenance of schools are sanctioned by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), steps will be taken to strengthen the school building. The repair work will commence with an aim to prevent such untoward incidents in the future,” S Kalaiarasi, chief educational officer of SSA, told Express.