Belying fears that the devastating floods would have had a negative impact on students, a group of students of Corporation schools in flood-affected areas have emerged toppers in the SSLC examination.
M.E. Anitha and S. Bhuvaneswari of Corporation Girls Higher Secondary School in Saidapet have secured the first rank among corporation schools with a score of 492 out of 500. Located on the banks of Adyar River, Saidapet was one of the worst affected areas during the December floods in the city. Topper M.E. Anitha attributed the success to the hard work by teachers during the crucial period after the floods.
“We were unable to study during the floods. So our teachers motivated us to work hard soon after the disaster. They distributed additional materials that helped us score high marks. Our teachers conducted special classes in the evening as well,” said Anitha, who wants to become a doctor.
Some teachers in flood-affected areas cleared doubts of students via phone. “They permitted us to call them anytime, to help clear doubts relating to the exams,” said Anitha. The first rank holder S. Bhuvaneswari of Chennai Corporation Girls Higher Secondary School in Saidapet said she worked hard after recovering from the shock of the floods.
“The floods were a setback to our preparation. However, we worked hard with the support of our teachers,” said Bhuvaneswari who wants to become a teacher.
“My teachers are my role models,” she said.
K. Mazvinroshan of Saidapet secured the second rank with a score of 489. M. Jayapriya of Koyambedu scored 489 marks. Third rank holder A. Sindhya of Chennai Corporation Girls Higher Secondary School in Perambur said the floods only challenged her to score high marks
Four years ago, her father J. Aathiramkumar, a hotel employee , and her mother Usha Rani, an employee at the Secretariat, decided to transfer Sindhiya to the corporation school. “The teachers in corporation schools are qualified. They responded properly to the challenges posed by floods,” said Mr. Aathiramkumar.
