Tamil Nadu - Kancheepuram   

High school education still a long way

Staff Reporter

300-odd students of Nedungal village have to make do with middle school

LEGGING THE DISTANCE: Access to education seems to be a distant dream for students at Nedungal in Kancheepuram. — Photo : A. Muralitharan

KANCHEEPURAM: Access to high school education at their village itself remains a distant dream for 300-odd pupils living in and around Nedungal village on the southern border of Kancheepuram district.

At present, three middle schools and a few elementary schools are functioning in this area, catering to the needs of students from 1st standard to 8th standard in Karasankal, Veliyampakkam, Minni Chithamur, Nedungal, Kizhmin, Kalathur, Mampattu, Munnakulam and Murungai villages.

Though a philanthropist had remitted the required fee on behalf of the villagers for upgrading the Panchayat Union Middle School at Nedungal into a high school and the District Education Department officials admitting the fact that there is no high or higher secondary school within 8 km radius, there seem to be no sign of this school being upgraded into a high school. The officials had also pointed out that majority of people living in these villages belong to the oppressed classes and the area lacks proper public transport facility to help pupil reach government high / higher secondary schools functioning at a distance of 15 km from Nedungal.

Enquiries reveal that the village panchayat had passed a resolution to hand over 7 acres of land to the District Education Department for constructing buildings for the school, in case the government clears the proposal for upgrading the PU Middle School. The villagers have also agreed to pool in their resources or seek the help of philanthropists for setting up of laboratory and other facilities required for a high school.

The villagers did not claim admission for their wards in government high schools at Orathi and Thozhupedu, located at a distance of 8 to 10 kms from Nedungal, citing "overcrowding" in classrooms.

Meanwhile, the government has cleared the proposal for upgrading a high school functioning at Avalur in Wallajabad Panchayat Union, near here, into a higher secondary school. Already, there are two higher secondary schools, one each for boys and girls, functioning at Wallajabad, which is within 3 km from Avalur village.

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