A government school in the Nilgiris was about to be closed. But a community-driven initiative prevented it. Not only that — it helped the school enrol about 100 children over the last year.
Local residents said the Panchayat Union Primary School in Iduhatty village, located around 20 km from Udhagamandalam town, was on the verge of being closed last year after the student strength dwindled to just six children.
That was when they got together and decided to act quickly, to ensure that the school remained open.
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“Many of us have fond remembrances of the school which we used to attend as children, and to learn that it may be closed forever, shocked us into taking action,” said one of the residents of the village.
S. Raman, village secretary, said an urgent meeting of local residents was called last year, where it was decided that all the children of the people living in the village and who were studying at private schools in other parts of the Nilgiris as well as other districts, would be enrolled in the school at Iduhatty.
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“We had a tremendous response from the community, with most people readily agreeing to the idea, and almost 70 children were enrolled within a few weeks,” said Mr. Raman.
Local residents got together and repainted the school with murals of freedom fighters, scientists and leadersto “inspire students” attending the school, he added.
S. Chitra, the school headmistress, said currently 22 students were attending kindergarten while 78 students were studying in Classes I to V.
“Joining with the local Parents Teachers Association, and village elders, we organised a campaign to spread the word among locals and convince them to send their children to the school in Iduhatty,” said Ms. Chitra, adding that the grades of almost all the children had improved.
Ms. Chitra is among the two government teachers at the school. Five more teachers have been employed with the help of funds provided by the residents and two government teachers.