The decision of the General Education Department to place P.T. Manoj, a physical education teacher at the Parli Higher Secondary School, near here, in the newly created ‘teachers bank’ has come as a rude shock to sports lovers in the district.
The bank comprises teachers from private aided schools who face job loss owing to shortage of students. Mr. Manoj was instrumental in giving Palakkad an upper hand in State-level school athletic meets and moulding athletes who performed well at national and international events.
It was the fall in divisions in the upper primary (UP) section of his school that resulted in his being included in the teachers’ bank.
The staff fixation notification received by the school and the website of the General Education Department have confirmed the development.
The school management, social organisations, and sports associations have now approached the department to treat Mr. Manoj as a special case as he is training over 100 students to compete in State and national events. They include K.T. Neena, Muhammed Afzal, Rameswari, and Thara, who have competed and won prizes at the international level.
“It was Manoj Mash who ensured overall championship for Palakkad for the first time in the State school athletic meet in 2012. It was his training that made Parli’s athletes unbeatable in the long distance and walk events. Students from here surprised many with their memorable performances in the sprint and throw events,” says V.V. Jisha, who won the world junior championship in athletics.
The medals the school has won at the international level include five golds, one silver, and one bronze. At the national level, the school has won a total of 136 medals.
“The school achieved all this without proper facilities and funding. We barely have a 200-m track, and a long jump pit measuring just five metres. This is precisely what made me focus on the long distance and walk events initially,” says Mr. Manoj.
