Minister Mahesh promises to revive glory of Maharaja’s High School

Student strength falls from 700 to 127 despite having all facilities

Minister for Primary and Secondary Education N. Mahesh inspecting the renovation work undertaken at the century-old Maharaja’s High School and PU College in Mysuru on Monday.

Minister for Primary and Secondary Education N. Mahesh on Monday visited the century-old Maharaja’s High School (Maharaja PU Composite College) whose student strength has fallen drastically despite being an historic institution founded by Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, and promised all help to revive its glory.

Mr. Mahesh, who went around the school, met students and spoke to the officials and teachers, and told reporters that he felt sad on seeing the historic school’s falling student numbers. It’s a matter of concern why the school has failed to attract students when it was equipped with all facilities, he felt. The Minister said the student numbers have fallen from 700 to 127 but the strength in Maharaja’s PU College is overwhelming with over 2,000 students pursuing education.

Mysuru City has 22 lower and higher primary government schools which produce around 4,000 students for the high schools. The Maharaja’s High School should at least attract 500 students but that’s not happening. A major chunk of passed-out students – around 60 per cent of them – go to private schools, he said, based on the information shared by the officials from the Department of Public Instruction.

Mr. Mahesh said there is an urgent need to revive the school’s glory, bringing back the days when it used to buzz with students. For realise this, teachers should put in extra efforts, meeting the parents of children who have passed out from lower and higher primary government schools, and persuade them to admit their children to Maharaja’s, he suggested.

The Minister said he will consider attaching a pre-metric hostel facility for the school to encourage more students to get enrolled.

Transport facility

Under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyana, there is a provision to introduce transport facility for the schoolchildren. “I’ll discuss about this provision and how to introduce it with regard to the Maharaja’s High School when I return to Bengaluru. I’m sure this will help in attracting children to the school and improving its strength.”

Deputy Director of Public Instruction S. Mamatha, Maharaja’s PU College Principal T.R. Siddaraju, retired director of PU Board B.S. Sridhar Raj Urs and others from the college and school were present.

The Minister inspected the renovation undertaken at the school and garlanded the bust of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.