Demand grows for upgrade of Chinna Suriyur government middle school

Residents of Chinna Suriyur in Tiruverumbur are urging the authorities to upgrade the Government Middle School to a High School to address the growing educational needs of their children.

Residents of Chinna Suriyur in Tiruverumbur are urging the authorities to upgrade the Government Middle School to a High School to address the growing educational needs of their children.

The school has 147 students studying up to Class VIII, including 24 in Class VIII who can continue in the same school if it is upgraded. Panchayat sources confirm that the village has sufficient additional land for the expansion.

In the absence of a high school, children travel 6 to 10 km daily to schools in Mandaiyur, Keeranur, and Mathur. Each morning, they walk or cycle 2 km to the Tiruchi-Pudukottai Main Road to catch a bus around 8 am. This commute is especially challenging for girls with safety concerns during the rainy season when children return home after 6 pm.

C. Amsu, who sends her grandchildren to schools outside the village, expressed her fears: “We are constantly seeing unpleasant news about crimes against women on our mobile phones. If such crimes can happen in cities, it is even more worrisome for us living in a remote area. We fear for the safety of our girls, and that’s why we are demanding a high school here.”

V. Periyasamy, PTA President, said: “If the high school comes up here, it will benefit not just our village but also villages within 5 km. The Suriyur panchayat has 10 small villages.” He said dropouts are increasing due to safety fears, especially among Class X students who return home as late as 10 p.m. after special classes.

Recently, the PTA submitted a petition to District Collector M. Pradeep Kumar to upgrade the school, aiming to provide safe, more accessible education and reduce the need for long commutes. School Education department officials said they would look into the matter.