Kozhikode: Archaeology department may take over school

KOZHIKODE: The authorities of St Joseph's Girl's Higher Secondary School here are concerned about the move of the archaeology department to take over the 156-year-old colonial-era building of the school. The move came after some of the school alumni submitted a petition against the school management's decision to demolish the historic building.

The management has been trying to get the support of the parents and the alumni to stop the move to take it over after the district archaeology department filed a study report to the state archaeology department.

The school, the first institution for girls in Malabar area, was built in 1862 and its architecture stands out for its colonial structure, according to the members of archaeology department here.

The management has already filed a petition with the Kerala High Court to stop the move and highlighted the need to demolish the building due to its pathetic condition. The management pointed out that the building posed a danger to the students.

A parent here said that a meeting was called by the management seeking their support. "But we asked the school to renovate it without demolishing it. But the management said it was in a bad condition and we agreed with them for our children's safety," he said.

According to the management, the demand for seats is increasing and the existing structure lacks the facility to accommodate them. There are over 1, 500 students while it has the capacity to house only fewer than 500 students, the authorities said.