EXCLUSIVE Tiruvarur: The school that AIADMK general secretary and would be Chief Minister VK Sasikala studied in as a teenager – erstwhile TN Board High School in Thiruthuraipoondi town where she was born – today cries out for attention, help and guidance. From a strength of 2500 when Sasikala was studying there from Class VI to SSLC today it has fallen to a mere 280 students.

The fear factor is palpable everywhere. Not a single person wants to be heard or quoted speaking about her. This information was provided to Covai Post under strict conditions of anonymity.

“Since 95 per cent of students are from dalit and other backward castes, no one is paying much attention to the school and its needs,” lament parents of children studying there. There are no lab facilities, basic amenities in the school building that is also crying out for repairs. The school building, built in 1914 and is in a very bad shape, students there complain. But no one seems to be listening.

With one of its successful students, Sasikala, set to take over as chief minister, people here in this town and those connected with the school hope that she would give attention to it on a priority basis.

Sasikala had studied in the school, from June 9, 1965 and is said to have abruptly discontinued her studies when studying for SSLC. According to sources in the school, she withdrew from the school on August 14, 1975.

The other students of the school who made it big include cine director and business tycoon SS Vasan, former DGP A X Alexander and IAS officers Rajarathinam and Elangovan.

But Sasikala towers over all others of the school Alumni when it comes to success.

Born on April 18 in 1954, Sasikala had studied from Class 1 to Class V at the panchayat union middle school, erstwhile primary school, in Thiruthuraipoondi from June 10, 1959 to June 7, 1965. After this, she joined the Board High School. Today, this school has no teachers for important subjects like Mathematics, Commerce, History and even Tamil.

“These posts are lying vacant for the past few years – from one year to three years and no one paid any attention. Which is why, in the interests of students future, the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) appointed qualified unemployed youth as teachers at a monthly salary of Rs 3000.

The state of affairs, of course, has a direct and adverse effect on students’ performance. The school recorded very poor results in the Class X and Class XII board examinations, with just 41 pass percentage in Class X and 57 pass percentage in Class XII examinations in the past three years.

There are no laboratories for Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology and Geography in the school. A portion of the class rooms has been set aside for laboratory.

The students’ strength which stood at 2,500 while Sasikala was studying here has now come down to 280. “Class-wise, there are six students in Class VI, seven students in Class VII, five students in Class VIII, 30 students in Class IX, 124 students in Class XI and 103 students in Class XII”, sources said.

95 per cent of the students are Dalits. “This is why, politicians and officials are turning blind eye to our legitimate demands,” said a member of parent teachers association. Repeated pleas were made, but to no avail, the PTA member said.