Cheruvadi GHS waiting for Plus Two sanction

State to sanction higher secondary schools in villages

The demand for upgrading Government High School Cheruvadi, at Kodiyathur panchayat in the district, to a higher secondary school has gained new momentum with the Cabinet on Wednesday deciding to sanction higher secondary schools in all grama panchayats having no such schools.

Cheruvadi GHS is the only government high school in the panchayat. “Since the Chief Minister has already made it clear that government schools will be given priority while sanctioning Plus Two sections, we have hope,” P. Gireesh Kumar head master-in-charge of the school, says.

The school, which has already produced talents in different spheres including arts and sports, was selected by the Sarva Siksha Abhyan (SSA) as one of the best schools in the Mukkom educational sub-district recently.

The government school has 1,250 students, majority of them from economically poor families in the neighbouring places such as Keezhuparamba, Kodiyathur, and Karassery.

Progressive movements such as the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) has also demanded that the Cheruvadi GHS should be given priority while sanctioning Plus Two sections since it is the only government high school in the panchayat that qualify for the upgradation. There are a few aided schools the managements of which have already started lobbying for Plus Two sections for their schools.

“We hope the government, especially the Education Department will not succumb to their pressures,” Vijeesh Parari, a member of the KSSP and an alumni of the Cheruvadi GHS, says.

The district panchayat under which the Cheruvadi GHS comes has already supported the sanctioning of Plus Two courses for the school.

If the panchayat is to get a higher secondary school, Cheruvadi GHS has to be the first choice by any means,” K. Sivadasan, district panchayat education committee coordinator, says.

Of the total 75 panchayats in the district, there are only three or four of them without a higher secondary school. Cheruvadi is one, and others are Perumanna, and Koothali, Mr. Sivadasan says.