A former student of a Government school here has donated 1.5 acres to the school, besides Rs. 2 lakh to meet the expenses involved to upgrade the school, and has instituted a Rs. 25,000-fund to assist financially backward students. Pancharathna Anand, a first batch student to take the SSLC examination from Government High School in Kallapalayam here in 1965, is back in the city after five decades in the U.S.
Pancharathna Anand, who is now 71, is a practising paediatrician in Michigan. The land has been transferred to the Department of School Education and the title deeds have been presented to the District Collector, M. Karunagaran, on Wednesday, who forwarded them to the Chief Educational Officer.
“My aim is to prevent students from losing some years of education, as I did when there was no high school near my home. Kallapalayam is the place my ancestors hail from and I want to do something for them,” she said.
After passing out in 1965, she joined the Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai after which she left for the United States. Chief Education Officer A. Gnanagowri said that the Department of School Education would consider granting higher secondary school status if adequate number of students were admitted.
The land could be used to improve facilities in the school, she added. School Head Master B. Devarajan said that the school, which was established in 1962, was accorded high school status in 1973. A total of 225 students were studying in Standards VI to X.
The school is canvassing in the neighbourhood to enrol more students so that the school can get English medium sections too, for which 20 students are needed.
