This government-aided school in Chennai is celebrating its platinum jubilee

Chintadripet Kalyanam Higher Secondary School for Girls celebrates its platinum jubilee, having been founded in 1948. It was set up to cater to the increasing number of girls enrolling in the Chintadripet Boys School. Donations from a merchant and philanthropist, C. Kalyana Sundara Chettiar, enabled the school to open. It now has 450 students from classes 6-12, and aims to provide good education for girls, especially those from marginalised backgrounds. To mark the jubilee, dental and eye camps were held, and students participated in competitions.

The Chintadripet Kalyanam Higher Secondary School for Girls has a festive atmosphere this week.

The government-aided school, which was founded in 1948, is celebrating its platinum jubilee, and has an interesting story of how it came into existence.

While the Chintadripet Boys School in the 1940s was made into a co-educational institution to allow girls to enroll and study, their numbers soon began to rise, and at one point, there were around 300 girls studying in classes 1 to 8. This prompted the setting up of a separate school for girls and a managing committee, headed by T.P. Meenakshi Sundaranar received a donation of ₹20,000 as well as an additional donation of ₹15,000 from a merchant and philanthropist in the area, C. Kalyana Sundara Chettiar. The school is named after the philanthropist.

“I have heard that Kalyana Sundara Chettiar was initially keen on starting a wedding hall but was later convinced of the difference a school for girls would make in the area. The number of students studying here has steadily increased and there are 450 students now from classes 6 to 12,” said K. Vijaya, who worked at the school for 60 years, and now coordinates schools under the Chintadripet Secondary School Association. The association runs this school as well as five other schools, among which two institutions have completed 175 years and 150 years of functioning in the area. 

“There are many families in this area where at least one person would have studied at the Chintadripet boys or girls schools. The aim here is to provide good education for girls, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, and enable them to excel as all-rounders. Our former students have gone on to become extremely successful in their chosen paths,” said V.S. Amudha, the school’s headmistress.

Apart from academics, the girls are encouraged to join various extra-curricular clubs on campus. All the students are split into groups, and are then encouraged to pursue hobbies of their choice. 

To mark the platinum jubilee of the school, dental camps and eye camps were held, and students participated in various competitions. They received their prizes on Thursday, August 31, 2023, during a special event to mark the platinum jubilee.