95-yr-old Tiruchy school has just 3 teachers, 3 kids

The correspondent of the school claimed that they were waiting for the government to sanction LKG and UKG sections as planned to improve the student strength.

Koodapalli Chellamani Ammal Memorial Middle School has been running at Sankaranpillai Road near Chathiram bus stand in Tiruchy since 1924. Thousands of students have passed out of the school successfully and the student strength has declined in due course of time. As on date, only three students were studying in the school for whom three teachers have been employed.

While there are teacher shortage in several government and aided schools in the Tiruchy city, the officials from the educational department were shocked to find three teachers teaching merely three students. But still, the officials are yet to decide onthe issue.

Interestingly, the school has good classroom buildings and playground and even provided with noon meals.

When inquired, the teachers about the fate of the school, they were tight lipped.

When contacted the school correspondent S Subbiayan, said that the school once played a vital role in educating the people in and around Chathiram area but in the course of time, the mushrooming of private schools, even the parents of poor background opted to admit their children to these schools. “This had declined the number of enrolment in the school. We have been making a series of attempts to improve the strength but nothing has materialized,” Subbiayan said.

He also claimed that the school administration has been approaching the government to sanction LKG and UKG classes which would facilitate the school to improve the strength. “We have planned to operate free transport facility once, the kindergarten classes commence,”Subbaiyan added.