Headmistress gives new lease of life to TN panchayat union school without students

TNN | Jun 20, 2018, 09.06 PM IST

 

 TRICHY: A panchayat union primary school at Valaikolai in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu had been functioning for some time without a single student and with a headmaster and a teacher assistant . The school was on the verge of closure. 

However, a newly appointed headmistress changed the fate of the school. Her efforts paid rich dividends. On Wednesday, 12 students joined the school.

The villagers had refused to send their children to the school as the former headmistress, Jothi , had a strained relationship with them. She had allegedly not taken any efforts to enrol students. As a result, Jothi got a punishment transfer.

After Jothi’s transfer, S Arockiamary joined the Valaikolai school on Tuesday. On day one, Arockiamary convened a meeting of parents and village heads. She convinced them about the importance of sending their children to the school situated in the villager instead of sending them elsewhere.

She also visited the homes in in the village and spoke to parents.

“I could get children for all the classes up to Class V who were studying other schools,” said Arockiamary. It would not have been possible without the support from the villagers, she added.