MADURAI: Five years after the closure of Harveypatty High School, residents have renewed their demand for its reopening, urging the TVK government to restore the only government-aided school in the locality and ensure access to neighbourhood schooling in line with the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
Harveypatty High School, which had served the locality for decades, was closed five years ago, citing poor enrolment. Since then, children have been dependent on private schools or government schools located outside the locality.
Speaking to TNIE, Ward 95 councillor and school alumna K Indira Gandhi said residents had formed a School Restoration Committee and submitted representations to the District Educational Officer (DEO), Chief Educational Officer (CEO) and the Corporation Commissioner several times in 2025 seeking the reopening of the school. However, no action has been taken so far.
Referring to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, she said a primary school should be available within one kilometre of every habitation.
“Children from Harveypatty are now forced to travel nearly 2 km to Thiruparankundram or about 3 km to Nilaiyur to attend a government school. This is contrary to the spirit of the RTE norms and places an unnecessary burden on young students,” she said.
N Manjula, a resident, said around 25,000 families live in Harveypatty and over 40% of them belong to economically weaker sections. “It is difficult for many parents to enrol their children in private schools. We have submitted several representations to elected representatives, but no action has been taken,” she said.
She urged the newly formed TVK government to intervene and requested that the Madurai corporation take over the school administration and reopen it at the earliest.
Responding to the issue, Madurai District Educational Officer P Senthilkumar said the School Education Department had earlier issued a notice to the school’s management over its prolonged closure.
“The teachers who were working in the school have since been redeployed to government schools across the district. The process related to the representations submitted on the issue is underway,” he said.