THANJAVUR: There is no word yet on when schools would re-open. Putting the lockdown to good use, the Parent Teachers Association of a government middle school in Thanjavur has started building additional classrooms with funds contributed by youth of the village.
The management of Panchayat Union Middle school in Thulukkaviduthi north village has been awaiting funds from the government to build additional classrooms for more than a year. Even as the wait continues, ten youth, some of them working abroad, offered Rs five lakhs to build temporary classrooms. Groundbreaking ceremony for the construction was held on Wednesday.
“We are confident the construction of the temporary classrooms would be over in a month, before the opening of the school after the lockdown”, said Prahaladan, president of the parent teachers association.
The school was started in 1998 with primary classes and upgraded as middle school in 2003. With more than 100 students studying in the school the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) has applied for upgrading the school into a high school.
“Students who pass eighth standard had to travel to schools in Avanam, Anavayal and Neduvasal 4-7 km away for higher secondary schools. Because of this the drop out rate, especially of girls, is high. Upgradingthe school as a higher secondary institution will arrest the trend,” Prahaladan said.
To meet the student strength required for the upgradation, the managed launched a enrollment campaign in 2018 and offered Rs 1,000 and a gold coin as incentive to parents who enrol their wards in the school.
This had a tremendous response and the student strength in the primary section increased. Sixty students in 5 classes “There are around 60 students in the classes between first and fifth standard and the present building could not accommodate all of them”, says Prahaladan. But there was not enough classrooms to accommodate the students and classes were held in the verandah or in the open. During rainy days classes had to be cancelled.
There is a separate building for students studying from class sixth to class eight. As the students studying in classes 1 to 5, as and when return to school after lock down, have to brave elements, the PTA decided to build a temporary classroom with a steel sheet roof with pillars.
As word of the proposal spread, 10 youth, most of them alumni and some working abroad, chipped in with Rs five lakh. Prahaladan, meanwhile, sounded confident that the government would sanction funds for constructing permanent classrooms and also upgrade the school.