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Rural North Schools face uphill task to re-establish themselves
View(s):Educational activities in parts of Valikamam, Jaffna, resuming after the end of the conflict, is picking up, but more facilities and encouragement for the students to return to school are needed, reveals a survey by the Education Times .
Naguleswara Mahavidyalayam in Keerimalai (Naguleswaram), the popular tourist attraction in the north, reopened in 2012, after being abandoned in 1990.
The school which is 50-years-old this year, had 600 students and 30 teachers in 1990, which has now declined to 241 students and 18 teachers, according to the Principal T. Thayananthan.
Attendance is very poor due to lack of resources and teachers for English and some other subjects.
“During the war, the school building was severely damaged, but we renovated the building with assistance from the Parliamentarians and the OBA; classroom facilities also are insufficient,” the principal said.
He said, some students from poor families are not interested in attending school. “They are inclined to work as daily-paid labourers like their fathers. We are trying to develop our school with the available resources, and have classes up to O/L”.
“Our school Drama troupe performed well. We also formed an Under-19 girls’ Football team last year,” Mr Thayananthan said.
Kollankaladdy Saiva Tamil Vidyalam was established in 1872. It was reopened in 2013, with only one student and a teacher. Now it has 25 students and 4 teachers.
“In 1990, there were 304 students and 12 teachers, when the school was abandoned,” said the Principal, T. Vasntha Rani. “Most of the villages migrated during the conflict.”
The Maviddapuram American Mission School established on June 26,1818, as a Primary school, was re-opened on May 11, 2012 with 3 students and 2 teachers.
“Now it has 20 students, with the students excelling in their studies. winning prizes in Maths at Zonal level,” said Principal, S. Mahadevan.
In 1990, there were 100 students and 6 teachers, when it was abandoned, he added.
Veemankamam Mahavidyalam was established in 1891. In 1990, the school had 1,200 students and 35 teachers when it was abandoned. The school re-opened in 2012.
Now the school has 62 students and 9 teachers, but there are no students in Grade 1.
Principal S. Ramanathan said more students will join the school in the coming weeks as more land was released on April 10 for resettlement.
The OBA has helped the school, and currently the school has classes up to A/L.
The latest school to be reopened was the American Mission School in Valikamam last week in a temporary building with 30 students. In 1990, when the school was abandoned, it had about 600 to 800 students, and there were classes up to O/L.
Pix and text by
N. Parameshwaran