CHENNAI: Free breakfast, uniform, stationery, notebooks, Olympiad coaching, medical check-up, well - equipped computer lab and 100 per cent pass percentage for the last seven years.
The Government Girls High School (GGHS) in T Nagar has it all. But, as against its original strength of 400, GGHS only has about 80 students. After the admissions began on April 1 this year, only six applications have been received.
The principal of the school, students and parents say encroachments dotted along Usman Road where the school is located is the primary reason as students are often groped in the crowd and lewd comments are passed by the encroachers living in the area.
“GGHS commenced operations in 1962 and till 2008, the strength had been considerably good. After the Usman flyover was inaugurated in 2008 and the service lane was opened, encroachers began to occupy the space around the school to sell clothes and accessories. Since then, parents started questioning the safety of their children and admissions began to fall. While most other schools received at least 300 applications for admission, we have received only six,” said P Padma, principal of the school.
Despite repeated complaints to Corporation officials regarding the issue, no action has been taken.
Explaining the ordeal that her child studying in class 6 goes through every day, N Kalaichelvi said, “When the students try to make way through the crowd, a few men inappropriately touch them, some stand outside the gate and pass comments. This is very scary.”
One of the students on condition of anonymity said she dreads going back home from school in the evening as miscreants wait for her outside the premises.
“Men follow us back home and if we reply back angrily, they either start physically harassing us or come with a larger gang the next day.”
There have also been instances where students stopped their studies because of the issue.
At a time when government schools are shunned by parents due to poor performance and lack of infrastructure, this government school, despite having all the facilities and dedicated staff has number of students on the decline.
When contacted, an official from the Corporation said he would take steps to clear encroachments and put up barricades near the school.