TIRUCHY: Although among the 300 in the rolls, around 50 students of the government high school at Podhavur in Andhanallur block of the district pursue Classes 9 and 10 out of a community hall nearby as the shortage of classrooms in the educational institution remains unaddressed even after a decade.
According to parents and local residents, the educational institution was upgraded to a high school from a middle school in 2014. No additional classrooms, however, were built thereafter, leaving the students to jostle for space in all of the nine available on campus.
While students of Classes 1 to 8 share the classrooms available on campus, those in Classes 9 and 10 take lessons from the community hall nearby. V Ondimuthu, a farmer and an alumnus of the school, said he had been raising the issue of classroom shortage for several years. “I submitted a petition to the chief minister during his Tiruchy visit and also approached the education department this year. Many students here cannot afford private schools,” he said.
While noting that factors like infrastructure are usually looked into prior to a school’s upgradation, Ondimuthu said these were “somehow bypassed in 2014”, adding that “the students have been paying the price ever since.” The issue came to the fore during a BJP grama sabha meeting held in Ettarai on Monday, when BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran flagged it and urged the authorities to act swiftly.
“When classes are regularly held in a community hall, what is stopping the authorities from expediting the process?” the parent of a student in the school asked. Parents also expressed concern over the absence of a playground, saying village children were being denied opportunities to play and showcase their talents.
When enquired, education department officials said they have identified a half-acre poramboke land a few hundred metres from the school for new construction. The proposal is awaiting a no-objection certificate from the district administration. Once cleared, new buildings are expected to be constructed using NABARD funds, they added.
Commenting on the matter, Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi told media persons in Tiruchy on Tuesday that the department would expedite construction of new classrooms in the school. Pointing out that 7,898 new classrooms are under construction across the state, the minister said temporary arrangements in community halls or rented buildings were being made to ensure classes continue uninterrupted until the permanent structures are readied.
