PUDUKKOTTAI: A government village school once lacking in adequate facilities has undergone such a transformation with the concerted help of residents that it has been adjudged one of the best in the state and will be presented an award. The precincts of the Puliyachi Kudiyiruppu Panchayat Union Primary School at Vadakadu was once covered with shrubs.
It now boasts of modern buildings and infrastructure designed to enhance educational experience after the villagers alongside the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and the school management committee (SMC) chipped in mostly for the revamp.
Setting a benchmark, the school has become the first government primary school in Pudukkottai to have its own auditorium. Other improvements include tiled classrooms, CCTV cameras, WiFi network, inverters and smart classrooms. An RO drinking water plant that can fill two 1,500-litre tanks is another feature.
The improvements were entirely funded by savings from the school's annual day celebrations, along with contributions from the local community, PTA members and also funds under the 'Namaku Naame' scheme. Minister Siva V Meyyanathan also contributed from his MLA funds, which helped in laying paver blocks and building the compound walls, sources said.
K Suresh, a journalist and a PTA member of the school, stated this transformation would not have been possible without the dedication and labour of the villagers. "We visited the government model school at Pachaloor in Aranthangi, which is the inspiration for all this new infrastructure here," he said.
School headmistress K Valarmathi said, "The development costing around Rs 25 lakh was made possible in just six months with the contribution of villagers, MLA and others. Our school has actively increased student enrolment through door-to-door outreach and promotional materials like pamphlets and banners.
The enrolment has gone up from just 17 students in 2019-20 to 30 students now." Pudukkottai Chief Educational Officer (CEO) K Shanmugam informed that the government middle school at Kunnakurumbi in Aranthangi block also secured the best school award in the district under the middle school category.