Panchayat Union Middle School in Chinnaveerampatti

COIMBATORE: At a time when many govt schools are witnessing a decline in admissions, the Panchayat Union Middle School (PUMS) in Chinnaveerampatti near Udumalpet in Tirupur district has halted admissions to LKG and UKG classes due to overwhelming demand. The school enrolled 120 students in its kindergarten sections this academic year.Established in 1925, the school is celebrating its centenary in 2025. When Inbakkani took charge as headmaster in 2012, the school had only 160 students. Due to the consistent efforts of Inbakkani, the teaching staff members and the alumni association, enrollment steadily increased over the years, with the student strength now crossing 700.Speaking to TOI, Inbakkani said, “Immediately after I joined, I formed the alumni association in 2013. Through it, we appointed sanitary workers to maintain a clean campus and toilets.”LKG and UKG classes were officially introduced in govt schools in Tamil Nadu in 2019 to boost elementary-level enrollment. However, the school introduced these classes in 2015 itself after obtaining special permission. “Parents supported the initiative wholeheartedly,” he added.“With the help of CSR funds, we set up smart classrooms. We conduct annual day celebrations as a two-day grand event involving both students and parents. We also organise educational field trips every year. Extracurricular activities such as karate, bharatanatyam and silambam classes are also held regularly,” Inbakkani said.Based on the growing student strength, the school management committee (SMC) appointed additional teachers, including a dedicated computer science teacher. Under the Namakku Naame scheme, Rs 35 lakh was raised through public contribution. In 2022, the school constructed 12 new classrooms at a total cost of Rs 1.50 crore.“Despite this, we still need additional classrooms and teachers. We have requested the school education department to provide more teaching staff members and funds for infrastructure expansion,” he said.“Due to these sustained efforts, students from villages located more than 10 km away are now enrolling here. Of the 700 students currently enrolled, only 200 are from Chinnaveerampatti. The remaining students come from nearby villages like Padayachipudur, Myvadi, Ponneri and Udumalpet town,” he added.