PUDUCHERRY:Anandha Rangapillai Government Special School for the Visually Challenged and Hearing Impaired at Pillaichavady was upgraded to a higher secondary school on Monday.
The plus-two classes were inaugurated by Welfare Minister P Rajavelu, after Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who was scheduled to inaugurate it, did not turn up for the inauguration.
The school that functions under the Department of Social Welfare has 88 students including 23 visually challenged students. The remaining are hearing impaired. However, students after passing SSLC had no scope of studying further in Puducherry and had to go to Chennai and other places to study. Some drop out as they are unable to seek admission or afford to stay and study in Chennai.
The upgradation has come as a help to the students who have been passing out from the school. In all, 18 students enrolled in the plus-two classes with nine in each class, said the principal of the school N Kannadasan.
The government is running another such special school at Karaikal upto class VIII. On completion, the students get admitted in the Pillachavady school, he said.
However, despite the upgradation, no extra teachers were posted. At present there are qualified post-graduate teachers available in the school for conducting the classes, said the principal. The Minister said new teachers would be recruited for the school next year.
So far, the government has not been able to pay the special allowance given to the teachers of such schools.