Govt schools in rural areas welcome newcomers, shower them with gifts

Coimbatore: Getting back to school after two months of vacation, many students were in a somber mood on Monday. To lift their spirits and to welcome the newcomers, teachers showered them with flowers, sweets and gifts.
P Balan, headmaster of Government High School at Kurumbapalayam in Madukkarai, had arranged a welcome procession for the 75 new students and their parents. “We started the procession from the Vinayagar Temple. It was accompanied by mela thaalam (ritual drums). We gave the students roses and balloons, and distributed sweets after reaching the school,” Balan told TOI.
At the Government Higher Secondary School in Velliangadu, the headmaster and teachers welcomed the new students with sweets. They also gift them pencils. “We have 151 new admissions from Classes VI to IX and 102 admissions in Class XI. We welcomed all of them with sweets and presents. After this, parents gifted pens to all teachers,” said headmaster A Bellie.
The school, which has a significant number of tribal children, had recorded 100% results in the last Class XI board exams.
Teachers at the Government Higher Secondary School in Vagarayampalayam also welcomed the new students with sweets. “We welcomed the students and parents and conducted a session on the school and facilities,” said headmaster A Elamurugan.
However, they could not dwell on the welcome activities more as there was a rush for admissions. The school, with novel measures such as career guidance programmes, training for competitive exams and counselling sessions, has become the most sought-after in the region.