Sethupathi Pandithurai Higher Secondary School, managed by the Madurai Municipal Corporation and located next to a public toilet on New Jail Road here, created a record of sorts with all the 41 students of the school passing the Plus Two examination this year.
This was the first time since its establishment as a high school in 1937 and subsequent upgradation as a higher secondary school in 1978 that the institution, functioning with limited infrastructural facilities, had registered a centum pass in a Board examination.
It also turned out to be the only school among the 14 Corporation schools in the city to score a centum pass this year.
The other schools registered a pass percentage ranging between 85 and 99.2.
School headmistress A.Esther Emma Olive said the fete could be achieved only because of the cooperation of the students, their parents and six higher secondary teachers. She said special classes were taken up to 8.30 p.m. for the students.
Fruitful efforts
The efforts had borne fruit as the school first rank holder V.Veerapandi, son of a casual labourer, scored 1,025 marks despite studying in the science stream.
“Almost all of our students are from Below the Poverty Line families. It is a real challenge to groom them and we are doing it successfully with God’s grace,” she added.
Corporation Chief Educational Officer R.Mathialagan said 2,537 students from the 14 Corporation schools had appeared for the Plus Two examination this year. Of them, 2,365 passed.
The pass percentage was 93.04 which was very close to the district’s pass percentage of 93.77.
