A school in Kancheepuram rewards parents handsomely if their wards are punctual for their classes, do their homework and score consistently good marks.
The ‘best parent’ awardees get Rs 1000 as cash prize for the first two years, Rs 1500 for the third and fourth years and a plane trip to Madurai Meenakshi temple if they win it for the fifth consecutive year.
“I will gift a plot of land in the name of the student if the parent wins the title for ten years continuously”, said correspondent M Arun Kumar of the Bharatidasan Matriculation Higher Secondary School. The 38-year-old educationist is so popular with his 9,000-odd students that they call him ‘appa’ and many flock to him to plant a kiss on the cheek before returning home in the evening. “My father KTS Mani (a well-known DMK leader) had started the school in 1986 with just seven students. If we have grown this big, that’s purely because of our commitment to not just deliver good education but also insist on character-building”, he said.
He had reason to look proud as the school has been scoring 100 per cent passes in the class 10 and Plus-2 board exams since year 2000.
“Twelve students with parents went by flight to Madurai temple last year. We award Rs 1 lakh to any student scoring state first rank in plus-two. Also, a cash prize of Rs 10000 awaits the student scoring more than 470 marks (out of 500) in 10th board exam. Over 35 students got this prize last year”, Arun Kumar said.
He said over 3000 students won good conduct awards last year and were sent on picnic with parents by luxury buses. “Students here are competing to be the best”, he told DC.
