Last Friday, a group of students and teachers were unable to bear the stench while cleaning classrooms at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Peranamallur village, Tiruvannamalai. As they were unable to clean the classrooms, they felt disheartened.
Watching their helplessness, headmistress K. Rajeshwari asked them to stop the work and told them that she would fund the painting of the school. “Since I was posted to the school recently, I don’t have a bank account here [Vandavasi]. So, I pledged my gold jewellery for the purpose, which I don’t regret,” said Ms. Rajeshwari.
Ms. Rajeshwari is a native of Madurai and worked in a government school there, before moving to Peranamallur near Vandavasi in March, on promotion as headmistress. Leaving behind her family, she has been staying in the village and guiding students after school hours in the neighbourhood. She also gives special focus to students, who prepare for NEET.
Villagers, mostly farmers and weavers, returned their gratitude by providing better accommodation, food and safety in the village. That bonding made her spend her hard-earned money to paint the school buildings, which were last painted in 2009. With less time for the school’s reopening, she sought the help of the village panchayat president, Venni Elumalai, who readily agreed to her request to rope painters for the work.
Last weekend, workers painted ten classrooms in the school, giving it a fresh look. From Monday, students have been learning inside refurbished classrooms. There has been no absentees since then.
Built in 1995, the school has 487 students from Classes VI to XII with 17 teachers. It was upgraded to a higher secondary level in 2012.
