Model Higher Secondary school in Virugavur is a part of model schoolbuilding scheme
Model higher secondary school was constructed by the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Board (TNPHB) as part of the model schoolbuilding scheme
Villupuram: Saumya P, a student of class 7, studies in an airy, sunlit classroom in the Model Higher Secondary school in Virugavur, a village in Villupuram district. She loves her school and so does the government. The design of the easily maintained and student-friendly building has become a model for other schools coming up under a Central government scheme across the country.
Six months ago, Saumya’s school was no different from most other government schools in the country. It was an old pink building with three rooms allotted to more than 300 students. The principal’s office also doubled up as the accounts section.“We used to sit cramped in corridors during lessons,” recalls Saumya, adding how much she now enjoys her classroom, with its white walls and green board.
Hers is one of the 14 schools constructed by the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Board (TNPHB) as part of the model schoolbuilding scheme initiated by the Central government two years ago. The scheme envisions 6,000 model schools across the country, beginning with economically backward areas like Villupuram. The schools stand out for their superior design that incorporates some of the best practices in the business. The state-of-the-art design, environment-friendly measures and high safety standards incorporated into the building have students like Saumya experiencing what a student in a private city school would.
Chief engineer of TNPHB A. Kumar says, “The building was constructed at a cost of Rs3 crore and has various standards adopted which are hardly seen in other schools. Ramps till the second floor for differently abled students, proper ventilation, very little use of wood, and rainwater harvesting mechanisms are some of its unique components. The school is so built that sunlight is made use of and tiles are used in the toilets, making maintenance easier.”
Built over 33,500 sq ft, with 14 classrooms, the school started functioning six ago. It houses classes from 6 to 12 and has 372 students on its rolls. For class 10 student M. Maheshwari, the relative silence in the school compared to the noisy chatter from the older building is a big asset. “Less noise allows us to concentrate better and teachers are also able to give more time to us unlike before,” he says.
Principal M. Elavarasu adds that they had observed improvement in performance of students after they moved into the new building. He adds, “The monitoring of students has also been easier in the compact structure and students from over 20 villages come to the school which in itself is an achievement. An additional 150 students joined after the new building came up.”
The Maths lab in the new building sports prominently pictures of German mathematician Georg Cantor and Scotsman John Napier, a physicist and astronomer. Praiseworthy project that it has turned out to be, C. Muthuswamy, executive engineer for the Villupuram division, where four model schools have come up, says, “We did face difficulty in construction as most of the identified areas are in the interior and there is no proper transport either.
But once we started the construction, there was improvement at various levels and we ensure that water and electricity are provided before we hand over the building.”Water is still an issue and there is a shortage of desks. But, for now, teachers and students at the school are rejoicing in their new space.
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