Tribals from the hamlets in Anaikatty have urged the State Government to upgrade the residential high schools in their hamlets as other schools charge exorbitantly for higher education.

More than 500 children are studying in the Government Residential High School in Anaikatty.
The government school currently has only till grade ten, as a result of which students travel to Thagadam for higher education. “They are forced to travel 50km daily,” lamented a parent.

While parents have been urging the administration to upgrade the school to higher secondary level, those who have enrolled their wards at Chinnathadagam Boys and Girls Higher Secondary Schools complained of high fee structure.

“When we asked about the fee (Rs. 1105) the school says the fee was going towards paying salaries to the teachers who were appointed through the Parents Teachers Association. We are labourers and cannot afford to pay the fee. The Government should help us,” a parent said.

The school had reportedly appointed special teachers for subjects including Commerce and Accountancy and paid them from the fee remitted by the students, as they were not appointed by the government.