A few days ago, when K. Subbulakshmi answered the door she was greeted by a clutch of gifts — fruits, betel leaves and nuts — laid down on a copper plate. A pamphlet kept this bunch company. The plate with its friendly contents was in the hands of one woman, one of three women. Though the masks they were wearing did not make it readily obvious, they were smiling, as the crinkles around their eyes showed.
Subbulakshmi house is at Murrays Gate Road in Vanniya Teynampet, and the three women are teachers and they were visiting her to ensure that she enrolled her two children, a daughter and a son, at the nearby Chennai High School on Eldams Road run by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), for the academic year, 2020-21.
Subbulakshmi agreed, and the team of three left with their masked smiles intact. They trio went on to knock on the doors of the neighbouring house, with the same request.
Led by the school's principal K. Revathi, teachers of the Chennai High School in Zone - 9 (Teynampet) of GCC have been visiting houses on streets in Teynampet that are not far from where the school is located to persuade their parents to enrol their children in the school, since August 17 when admissions to schools and colleges were allowed by the State government.
“I myself studied in a government school years ago in the city. When I tell them this, as also the benefits of enrolling their children in a civic body-run school, many parents are convinced. We also don't insist on receiving transfer certificates (TC) from students for enrolment in our school,” says 45-year-old Revathi, who is in the teaching profession for more than two decades.
Divided into five teams, each consisting of three teachers, the school's teaching staff visit households in the locality between 9. 30 a.m and 1 p.m. every day meeting parents.
Since August 17, on an average, each team has taken care of at least six streets, visiting the houses there.
This Chennai High School on Eldams Road is distinguished by its rich heritage, adequate infrastructure facilities and focus on extracurricular activities. The three-member teacher teams highlight these factors during their house visits.
This Chennai High School is said to be the oldest government school in the locality, having been inaugurated on March 28, 1919 under the Corporation of Madras as a primary school.
In 1976, the school was rebuilt and in the same year, upgraded to middle school status. At present, the school has 270 students, all classes (from VI to X) put together.
The school has smart classrooms, science labs, and a small indoor play area. The school conducts classes on Carnatic music with the support of renowned Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna, Bharatnatyam, martial arts, spoken English, drawing and painting.
Interestingly, students at the school are trained in terrace gardening by getting them to work on the rooftop terrace garden at the school. The terrace garden was established in 2016.
In fact, for the mid-day meals for the students cooked at the school vegetables grown at the terrace garden, including brinjal, ladies finger, all types of greens and drumsticks, are used were cultivated on the terrace garden in the school.
K. Revathi can be contacted at 9444845624
