Kulasekarapattinam a beacon of women’s education for 120 years

Hard life: Thayammal Secondary School and Valliammaar Girls High School have 250 students. The proliferation of English-medium schools has posed a challenge to these Tamil-medium schools. |Photo credit: N. RAJESH

Kulasekarapattinam is a coastal town near Thoothukudi, famous for the Mutharamman Temple, where thousands of devotees gather during Dussehra Therefore, the Indian Space Research Organization also proposed to build a rocket launch pad. But this sleepy village’s journey to fame began 120 years ago, with the opening of a girls’ school in 1904 and a teacher training college in 1947. , he was known as “CD Nayagam. He was an educationist, a pioneer in women’s education and a close friend of Periyar EV Ramasamy, founder of Dravidar Kazagam. It was at his home in Chennai that Periyar married Maniammal. During a visit to the school in 1941, Periyar claimed to be a journalist from Erode.

unique teaching methods

According to the biography of Tamilar Kavalar CD Nayagam, he was only 26 years old when he founded the school, which was named after his wife Thayammal who died young. A few years after the school was founded, Thayammal Girls’ School’s unique teaching methods attracted the attention of the British government. “Special attention is given to the teaching of basic sciences and natural studies. Good kindergartens are run by children. Music is also taught. All efforts are made towards educating the children for their future life. Clay work and mat weaving are both good. In 1908, Ting The Deputy Assistant Inspector of Schools, Tinnevelly Girls Range, said in a report: “In addition to educating girls, the institution also strives to popularize education among mothers and elderly women. The founders of the institution are doing their best. Best efforts will be made to establish them permanently and we have no doubt that he will have the support of the educated and affluent sections of the community.

Favoritism for the oppressed

“His aim was to provide education to widows and women abandoned by their husbands. Women from backward and oppressed classes were given priority,” said school secretary Ramasundarasubramanian. “Kudiyarasu in charge of Periyar reports that the widowed daughter of a barber in Thanjavur was admitted to Kulasekarapattinam school as she could not get admission. Nayagam, the grandfather of renowned pulmonologist CN Deivanayagam, was a pioneer in providing free meals to students. Since the beginning Attendance was low and he introduced mid-day meals. In 1930 he founded a boarding school in the name of his mother, Valliammaiar, who provided free education, dormitories and food in Chin. A school was founded in T. Nagar, Chennai.

Nayagam also follows public reservations for admission. In 1935, the number of students was 241, 48 of whom lived in dormitories. Among them are 24 SC, 18 BC (Nadal), 3 Isai Vellalas and 3 Vellalas. Keen to find jobs for his students, Nayagam founded a teacher training college in 1947. “My sisters all studied at teacher training school and became teachers. It changed their lives forever. Now they live happily in retirement with their children and grandchildren.

“There is a need”

The teacher training college closed in 2017 because it could not recruit enough students. Today, against all odds, Thayammal Secondary School and Valliammaiar Girls High School have 250 students. Most students come from weak areas. They have breakfast and lunch. The proliferation of English-medium schools in neighboring districts has posed a challenge to these Tamil-medium schools. Subha Deivanagayam, joint secretary of the trust that runs these schools, said: “Whatever the reason, there is a need for the education we provide. We will try our best to continue providing education to the needy We provide services to the children we serve.