TIRUVANNAMALAI: An enthusiastic school teacher’s endeavour to enrol more students from tribal hamlets seems to have become counter-productive. The teacher, Mahalakshmi, who is active on social media, along with her colleagues has attracted children to join the government tribal residential (GTR) middle school in Arasaveli atop the Jawadhu hills in Tiruvannamalai. Students from as far as Salem and Bengaluru have joined the school.
But space crunch, poor infrastructure and sanitation facilities have badly hit the students. It has been a regular tale in the school where the less privileged children have to jostle for their turn to get into the toilet every morning after they wake up. So is the case with the bathrooms to have a quick shower. The septic tank overflows frequently adding to the students’ discomfort. The 382 students have to adjust in the narrow space available at eight classrooms.
Only 10 toilets are available at the school premises, and an average of one per 38 students use a toilet.
Queried about the woes of the school, Project Officer (PO) for Tribal Welfare department Elango told Express, “We are trying to bring in more facilities and construct a spacious building for the Arasaveli GTR school, but we are not able to get land for construction.”
Mysterious death of boy probed
Tiruvannamalai: The Arasaveli GTR Middle School located atop Jawadhu Hills is in news following the unnatural death of a Class VI student. K Sureshkumar (11) of Pottikollai in Vellore district reported of feeling uneasy at school. When taken to hospital, he had collapsed and died on the way