Alumni, residents to the aid of 200-year-old school

St. Francis LP School, Fort Kochi, faces closure owing to fall in student strength

KOCHI: Old students and local history buffs are likely to come to the aid of St. Francis LP School, Fort Kochi, which faces a possible closure owing to fall in student strength.

Headmistress K.C. Elizabeth said the school was in the ‘uneconomic’ category. According to Antony Kureethara, a former Kochi Corporation council member, the committee that was constituted for the bicentenary celebrations of the school has a tougher task ahead.

“The committee will now work to raise student strength. The first step will be to renovate the school, which needs elaborate repair as it is 200 years old. Once the renovation is done, student strength is sure to go up,” said Mr. Kureethara.

Meanwhile, funds for renovation are expected to come through contributions and from the government. “More than a thousand old students turned up for a meeting recently to commemorate 200 years of the school. It is a positive development indeed,” he added.

Besides, he said the government would be requested to fill vacancies at the school. The institution now functions with just two teachers, and Mr. Kureethara feels that once more teachers are appointed, more students will enrol.

The school was established in 1817 as the Church of England Elementary School. Those who studied at the school include children of the local royalty. The institution later came under the Church of South India.