
CHENNAI: In a first, the state’s tribal welfare department will construct a ‘model school’ in Arasavalli, located in the Jawadhu Hills of Tiruvannamalai district, upgrading the existing 10-acre campus from a primary school into a higher secondary school with modern amenities, at a cost of Rs 26 crore.
Construction will be carried out by the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation Limited (TAHDCO) and is expected to be completed within two years.
Moreover, the tribal welfare department plans to similarly upgrade tribal schools in Sitheri, located in Dharmapuri.
“Currently, the school lacks adequate hostel facilities, forcing many students to commute long distances daily (to attend classes). Even for those staying in the hostel, the existing facilities are insufficient. Once construction is completed, we aim to increase enrolment in the new higher secondary school to 800. Enhancing the school’s infrastructure will help in improving the quality of education accessible to the tribal population of Jawadhu Hills,” said a department official.
Jawadhu Hills in Tiruvannamalai district is home to over 271 tribal hamlets. The primary school at Arasavalli accommodates 143 students currently, while over 300 other students attend a nearby high school.
According to a Government Order, Rs 7.9 crore has also been allocated for construction of a main school building with a capacity to accommodate 740 students. Allocations have also been made for toilets, roads inside the campus, rainwater harvesting facility and parking spaces.
Tribal welfare dept operates 28 schools in region
This apart from separate hostels for boys and girls, each initially accommodating 220 students, set to be expanded later to 380 each.
The G.O. also stated that the road from the Arasavalli to Mullivadi which currently passes through the school campus will be shifted outside.The tribal welfare department operates 28 schools in the region, including three higher secondary schools, with more than 2,000 students currently enrolled in them.
Many students from the area also attend schools run by charitable trusts or travel to the plains to pursue higher secondary education.
According to department officials, in addition to students from the nearby hamlets of Arasavalli, Bargur and Ettimarathur, the schools serve students from 30 other hamlets, including Veerapanur, Puliyankuppam, Kallaathur, Ponganu and Nammiyampattu. Additionally, tribal students from villages in Vellore and Tirupattur districts also study at these schools.