Vizhuthukal has taken up some steps to work with Roman Catholic St Mary's School, Erode which was started in the year 1892 and it was the first school in Erode district. The school faces some critical problems which the school authorities are afraid that it may lead to closing of the school. So our team met the Principal discussed the happenings and the problems at the school.

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The major issues which we could analyse are:

›   The students are addicted to bad habits at the young age. They drink and smoke in the school days itself that too in school campus.
›   Parents never care about their kids. Most of them are corporation workers who live in slum areas. All of them want their kids to study well. But they don't know how the kids are doing and what they are really in to. Due to their basic innocence, they hesitate to come to the school and more over students don't update their parents in right time.
›   Since most of the families of the students' are below poverty line, they want their sons to work in order to meet basic financial needs. So when the financial problem pinches them, they make their kids to work temporarily which makes the kids to see the value of money at the small age. So they also prefer going for work rather than coming to school.

These are the major elements which are troubling the school authorities to control the students and parents. Even if parents are invited to the school for meeting, the information doesn't reach. Even if it reaches, they don't come for the meeting. So Vizhuthukal Education team analysed the ways to help out.

So we could come out with the below solutions which we can really help them:

›   To develop the interest with kids in the studies. We should make them feel happy when they think about coming to school. They should not feel that coming to school is a burden.
›   To make the parents understand and realise that the basic education is very important to bring an enlighten life to those kids and getting their support to make these kids perform better
›   To have special sessions for the students on the ill effects of smoking and drinking and to bring them out psychologically.

We have the below plans for this academic year (2008-09) to start up the activities

We have got four volunteers from Cheran Arts and Science college. We spoke to MSW (Master of Social Works) Head of Department Mr.Senthil with the help of ex.student Mr.Balasubramaniam. He really understood Vizhuthukal and our service activities. Since the student strength is very less, he said he can give us 4 volunteers to help us.

These four volunteers will be working on the Parents meet. They will meet all the parents of 9th &10th students personally and explain them the Vizhuthukal work with the school and the parents meet. They will make them understand the importance of the Parents meet and will request them to come for the meet. All the four Volunteers will be given a certificate from Vizhuthukal and will be awarded a small momento for their service and support to us.

During the Parents meet, we will be announcing the next year activities at the school and also that the top 2 students of 10th standard will be given scholarship to study their 11th and 12th. So this will motivate them to make their son to study better at the exam days. Also the parents who think about discontinuing the studies after 9th or 10th std, will rethink about that.

We will highlight them on the various programs planned for the academic year 2009-10. We will also be meeting the 9th and 10th students and will tell them about the scholarships and the other plans which we are going to have.

We have been working on all these activities for the past few months to decide all these things. We extend special thanks to Karthik, Priya & Arasu who helped us in many ways.

Adopting a child's Education for a year

We have also calculated the approximate expenses per kid for doing his 10th, 11th and 12th. We have plans to approach more sponsors who can adopt the kids' education. Even if our people are interested to adopt any of the kids' education, we would be more thankful. Approximate cost of one kid's educational fees, 2 sets of dresses, books and notes and miscellaneous expenses will be not more than INR 4500 per annum. So people who are ready to sponsor the kids for their studies please contact us. You can give the required fee amount , and we will take care of them. You will get periodical reports about the progress in their studies.

To begin with Arunagiri & Anand have accepted to adopt a kid and will pay all the expenses of a kid for a year. If you know some one who can also adopt a kid's education, please inform us. That would really help us.