Inadequate classrooms, toilets at 110-year-old govt. girls’ school in Erode, a cause for concern

Owing to the lack of facilities, some students have left the school

Learning for the 1,700 and-odd students at the 110-year-old M.R.G. Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School at Veerappanchatiram is a challenge every day as the school has inadequate classrooms and toilet facilities.

Started as a primary school in 1912, it was upgraded as middle school in 1984, as high school in 1996 and as a higher secondary school in 2003. As many as 1,734 students were pursuing Classes 6 to 12 and the school has 56 teachers. It functions at two places, the main campus for students from Classes 9 to 12 with 1,284 students along Sakthi Road and another at Kuttai area for Classes 6 to 8 with 440 students.

Against the total requirement of 34 classrooms on the main campus, the school currently has 25 classrooms. The shortage is met by holding classes in cycle stand, library, laboratory and the veranda. Moreover, the toilet facilities available on the premises meet the requirements of less than one-third of students at a time. Five students who obtained transfer certificates in the current academic year cited lack of classrooms and toilet facilities as the reasons for leaving the school.

Things didn’t go well with many parents who, after seeing their wards studying in cycle stand, wanted immediate steps to be taken to ensure adequate facilities. “Since toilet facility is inadequate, we are not sending our child to the school during her period’s,” said a parent.

“Since it is producing good results in the board examinations and is located near our house, we prefer the school,” she added.

The old building, with 10 classrooms, is in deplorable condition with concrete roofs falling many times in the past months. Also, no chairs and tables are available for the students who sit in crowded classroom. Only one toilet block is present in the school to cater to the needs of the 440 students. The school, once a co-education institute, was made girls-only school in 1996 and was renamed after Masimalai Rangasamy Gounder (M.R.G.) who contributed financially for its growth.

V.S. Kumar, president of Parents’ Teachers’ Association said demolishing the existing structures and constructing a new building was the only permanent solution for the problem. “The school had a strength of over 2,000 students in the past years. But, due to lack of classrooms and toilet facilities, students are leaving the school and the strength has dropped,” he added.