THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fret not if you haven’t cleared the SSLC examinations. It’s time to forget all the stress and relax at Kodaikanal. Malayali Sudheesh K, who is settled in the famous Tamil Nadu hill station, is offering a fully paid vacation to you and family.
To help students who failed in the class 10 examinations deal with the stress and get refreshed, Sudheesh, who is fondly called Sudhi, is offering free accommodation at his homestays and properties in Kodaikanal. Students can arrive with their parents and spend two days at any of his properties free of cost. It’s Sudhi’s way of extending moral support to students going through a crisis.
Ever since Sudhi shared his unique initiative on social media on Wednesday, his phone has been ringing non-stop. Students, educationists and families are calling him from across the state to learn more about his initiative.
“Ever since the Class 10 results were announced, there has been a lot of victory sharing in social circles. What we often do not see is the other side of this. There is a segment that is being ostracised and ridiculed for having failed,” says Sudhi who runs Hammock in Kodaikanal.
“So, I thought of offering something in my capacity to help them deal with the crisis,” says Sudhi.
Sudhi, a native of Vadakara in Kozhikode, has been living in Kodaikanal since 2006 with his family.
Ever since Sudhi joined a resort for work after his hotel management course in 2003, he has been living there.
“The place is silent and away from all craziness. It is the ideal place to get away from all stress and get refreshed. It isn’t like old times, during my school days. Then, a failure would be taken in its stride. Now, students are under tremendous pressure. And passing the tenth standard is a matter of prestige for the family. A little bit of time away from this stress can work wonders for the kids and their parents,” says Sudhi.
A person’s success isn’t defined by intelligence and Sudhi’s initiative is a welcome move as it reinforces this idea, said clinical psychologist Nithin A F.
“Parents are the ones who should be cautious. In Kerala’s social scenario, parents tend to compare their kids with other children and thereby put immense pressure on their wards. All kids have their own talents. Unfortunately, class ten examinations are a part of a social evaluation. Education doesn’t define the success or failure of an individual in life. We should inculcate a value-oriented awareness in kids,” he said.
The offer will be open till the end of July. All the students must do is furnish the class 10 certificate which shows them as having failed. They should arrive with their families.
“I have been getting calls from students asking me if they could come alone or with friends. These are very young kids and so we will only let them in only if they are with their families. Two kids who called me today shared how depressed they were. I tried to tell them not to worry and that this is not the end of the world,” says Sudhi.