TIRUPATTUR: In Ambur Municipality, the journey to higher secondary education begins with leaving the town. For many families who cannot afford private schools or long daily commutes, it ends after Class 10.
Like most parents, R Rajesh wanted his daughter to continue her studies.
"She was good at studies and secured 80% in the Class 10 examination," he said proudly. But her education came to a halt after that, as Ambur Municipality has no government higher secondary school. For the past two years, the 18-year-old has been working at a shoe factory in Ambur.
"The nearest government higher secondary school is at Devalapuram, about 6 km away. Buses are infrequent, so students have to walk or cycle," said Rajesh, a resident of Kaspa A. Safety was another concern. "If there were a school nearby, things would have been easier. The shoe factory is close by, and she goes with women from our neighbourhood, so I don't worry," he said.
According to residents, many students, particularly those from economically weaker families, drop out after Class 10 and take up work. Despite having 36 wards, Ambur Municipality does not have a single government higher secondary school.
While some parents manage to enrol their children in private management schools, many cannot afford the steep fees and instead send them to government schools in Devalapuram, Periyankuppam, 8 km away, or Alinjikuppam, around 12 km away, in neighbouring Vellore district. Others, like Rajesh, send their children to work.
S Sunitha, a single parent from Kaspa A, sends her younger daughter, a Class 11 student, to Periyankuppam every day, a journey that leaves her anxious. "I send my daughter by auto because the government's free buses to Periyankuppam are not frequent in the morning.
The fare is expensive. Until she returns home, I remain worried. If the Government High School at Kaspa A had Classes 11 and 12, I would be much relieved as it is just a kilometre from our house," she said. Parents told TNIE that private management schools in the area demand donations of around `50,000 for admission.
The Government High School at Kaspa A, established in the 1960s, is the only government high school in Ambur Municipality. Residents said upgrading the school has been a long-pending demand for more than two decades. School staff said enrolment has also suffered, as many parents shift younger siblings along with older children to schools that offer higher secondary classes.
Medical quota affected
The absence of a government higher secondary school also affects students aspiring to pursue medicine. The 7.5% horizontal reservation in medical admissions is available only to students who have studied in government schools from Classes 6 to 12 and qualify in NEET.
"Students who move to private schools lose eligibility for the reservation. Some travel long distances every day just to remain eligible," said social activist Rajesh Kumar.
Dr G Ravi, a former PTA member of the Kaspa A school, said around `2 lakh had been spent nearly a decade ago on upgrading the school, but the proposal never materialised.
Former Ambur municipal councillor Suresh Babu said around 54 cents of government land adjoining the school, where a Social Welfare Department hostel has remained unused for nearly 20 years, could be utilised for expansion.
"There is enough space for a playground, laboratory and library if the government has the will," he said. Teachers at the school shared the same view.
On July 23, residents submitted a petition to Tirupattur Collector G Ravikumar seeking the upgradation of the school.
When contacted, Tirupattur Chief Educational Officer R Punniyakotti said the existing school did not have sufficient space for upgradation. "Based on the collector's directions, we are exploring nearby government schools that can be upgraded," she said.
