The 127-year-old Government Central High School, Attakulangara, once a prestigious centre of learning in the capital, is to get an upgrade with the higher secondary wing next academic year.
The city Corporation which manages the school situated at East Fort has already submitted the formal letter to commence higher secondary section in the institution to the District Education Officer, Thiruvananthapuram.
“If the Education Department approves, Plus One classes will commence from the next academic year and it will help those passing out from here,” headmaster Suresh Babu said.
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The school, which is in danger of losing a section of its campus and green cover for the proposed shopping complex and bus stand, had achieved 100 per cent pass in the last three SSLC examinations.
This justifies the demand for commencing the Plus One and Plus Two classes.
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“Mostly, children from financially backward families attend this school. It will be very helpful to them families if the higher secondary section is sanctioned,” Mr. Babu said.
The school is ready to reopen after the summer holidays with 160 new admissions for 2016-17, the headmaster said. The school is on the revival path with the Attakulangara School Samrakshana Samithi, Tree Walk, and alumni joining hands to save the school.
The school was founded as the Native High School in 1889 by T. Marthandan Thampi who was also its first headmaster.
Later, the government took over the school, renaming it as Attakulangara Vernacular School and again as Central High School, Attakulangara.
Illustrious teachers
On its list of former teachers are poet Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, former Chief Minister Pattom A. Thanu Pillai, social reformer Sahodaran Ayyappan, former Chief Justice of erstwhile Travancore U. Padmanabha Kukkiliya, Swami Vedachalam, and Marai Malai Adigal.
Good news at last
The school had 1,700 students in 1988 and 1,200 in 1998.
In 2008 it came down to 200 and to 60 in 2013. The school authorities and the alumni are excited over the new admissions for 2016-17 touching 160. The 15 teachers are toiling hard with others for the revival of school.