PERAMBALUR: The sound of the school bell ringing, the smell of chalk dust, lining up for morning assembly, and singing the national anthem half-asleep are some of the best memories of school life. However, for K Kayal, a 17-year-old, these were not the stories her dad’s school revealed.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, when she went to her dad’s hometown in Pasumbalur and lived with her grandparents for a few months, she was shocked to see the school, her dad studied in, in ruins. The broken desks, outdated blackboards, absence of computers or printers, and even the lack of toilets for boys told a completely different story.
Kayal said, “I saw how eager the students were to learn, but their environment made it so hard. It hurt me to think that my father had studied here decades ago, and nothing much had changed. I felt it was my turn to do something.”
Hence, promising her father that she would turn things around, Kayal, a Class 12 student at Zion International Public School, Chennai, started slowly transforming the Pasumbalur Government Higher Secondary School, with her savings and support from her family and friends.
Talking about his nostalgic past, Kayal’s father R Kujalarajan (45) always advised her to never forget her roots, no matter where life took her, and one must always go back and do something for one’s people. Determined to act, Kayal discussed her ideas with her parents, who immediately supported her initiative.
In 2022, she began with what she could manage through her own savings. Firstly, she donated a printer and two computers to help set up a basic digital classroom in the school. Later, encouraged by the students’ enthusiasm, in 2023, she contributed green boards for all classes from 6 to 12, replacing the old and damaged ones. However, in 2025, she funded the construction of new toilets for boys. Though the initiative costed Rs 5 lakh, Rs 1.2 lakh came directly from Kayal’s personal savings, the rest was funded by her parents and friends.
Speaking to TNIE, Kayal said, “Education should not feel like a burden. If students have good classrooms, technology, and hygiene, they’ll feel valued. That’s what I want — for them to dream bigger and believe they deserve more.”
She added, “Every child deserves the chance to explore their talents and feel motivated every day. I hope these small changes inspire other students to work hard and reach great heights. However, I am not going to stop here. My next goal is to improve the school’s playground and create a proper basketball and volleyball court.”
Kujalarajan said, “When I studied here, there were no proper desks, no computers, and the classrooms were in bad condition. Today, my daughter has given the school things I could only dream of as a child. She has also given hope to the students and teachers, and I am incredibly proud of her for what she has done.”
A student from the school said, “We never imagined a student from the city would come and help our school like this. The new computers have helped us learn basic digital lessons. Also, having proper toilets has made things more comfortable.”
(Edited by Ashyl Paul)
