It was not an occasion filled with dance, music or drama, but a much deeper and meaningful run-through of the academic year 2011-2012. The 42nd annual day celebration of Balavidyalaya, a school for young deaf children, was held on March 3, at Anna Auditorium, Triplicane.
Saraswathi Narayanaswamy, director of Balavidyalaya, welcomed the gathering. Dr Valli Annamalai, principal, read out the annual report which highlighted the various accomplishments of the students and teachers of the school in the last academic year. Students who had been mainstreamed into various regular schools were awarded medals for their achievement.
The annual report of the Balavidyalaya Institute for Teacher Training that conducts a one-year Diploma in Teaching Young Hearing Impaired (DTYHI), recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu, was presented by vice principal Dr Meera Suresh. The training was imparted to 18 teachers across the country.
R Purushothaman and S Shanthi, parents of two different students, spoke about how the school had helped them breathe a new life into their hearing-impaired children. It was an emotional moment when Pavithra Mukunnan, an alumnus of Balavidyalaya, spoke about her inspiring journey from being a student to her achievements as a professional at a news organisation.
The annual souvenir was released by Saraswathi, which was followed by the felicitation of teachers who had completed 10 to 25 years of service in the institution.
The occasion was presided over by State Minster of Social Welfare B Valarmathi, who lauded the school for its efforts to reach out to hearing impaired children. The programme concluded with the vote of thanks by the vice-principal, followed by the National Anthem.