Once an institution thriving with students, the Government Boys High School in Panampilly Nagar now struggles to attract even a crowd of 50.
It now survives solely on donations and charities.
With a strength of over 500 students during its inception in 1974, the school was one of the first few to open the English medium section.
Headmistress K P Lathika says, “We have classes till X, but also a poor strength of 45, with only 12 new admissions in Class VIII- the lowest we’ve ever had. Due to the dwindling numbers, it lost its Englishmedium status in 2000.
“Since 2001, the number of new students has been dropping drastically with most parents sending their children to SRV High School.
The students are from economically backward families, so we can’t even ask for PTA (Parent Teacher Association) funds from them,” she says.
The government aid from Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and a monthly supply of rice as part of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009 are not enough to run the school.
Moreover, the RMSA fund can only be used for maintenance and the free food is only for students up to class eight as per the law.
Interstingly, the quality of education has not dropped.
The school has been maintaining a 100 per cent pass record for the last four years.
Tenth standard student Aneesh M R, one of the school’s toppers said, “Even if there aren’t many facilities, the teaching is very good.
The projector in the computer lab really helps.
” Deputy Director of Education, M D Murali reasoned that the government can’t do much about it.
“The lack of PTA funds in schools like these is unfortunate.
Perhaps,charitable organisations or the concerned MLA could do something about it,” he says.
The school which is in Thrikkakara constituency, also houses a Sports Council Academy on its 4.
75-acre campus.
With the new Sports Bill set to be introduced in the Assembly, MLA Benny Behanan is optimistic.
“If the new Sports Bill becomes legal, then the first thing I will do is to renovate the school and the sports academy.
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