Malapparamba controversy: Children excited at collectorate

KOZHIKODE: Even though the students and parents of Malaparamba Aided Upper Primary School were upset to know about the closure of the 140- year-old institution, the disappointment did not last long. Now they are doubly excited because they are the first students in the State to get an opportunity to turn a collectorate into their classrooms.

“Never in my life have I seen the Collectorate before but now our collector himself welcomed me to his place and made me sit in a good comfortable cushioned chair in the hall”, said Vijithra V, fourth standard student of the school. “I now feel like a celeb, after getting back to school. Everyday someone drops by to enquire about us in the collector’s office”, says the little one.

She goes onto say, “The most exciting thing was the first day’s class, when the collector himself took classes for us. He conveyed some messages such as land is not a commodity for a business transaction, it is knowledge that is important and money is not an important factor to live in this world.”

But Niveditha Viju was not all that excited to be in the collectorate. “I miss my playgrounds and classroom. Since this is a very serious place, we need to maintain some kind of discipline and are also not permitted to make a noise even during our free hours. I would like to go back to my school,” she said. Niveditha expressed her desire to the State Government to quickly take action to restart the school in the same place.

It was on Thursday, that the students were temporarily shifted to the district collectorate after the school was shut down by the management that obtained a favourable verdict from the Kerala High Court following a long-drawn legal battle. The school was sealed on Wednesday afternoon without any scuffle or fight from the school protection committee.

It was overnight that the Public Works Department made arrangements to turn the Engineers’ Conference Hall into seven classrooms including a staff room following an order by District collector N Prasanth. All other necessary arrangements were made for the smooth functioning of classes. In addition to these facilities, the district administration has also arranged a transportation facility for the students.

School Key, documents given to Manager

Based on the High Court order on the closure of Malaparamba Aided Upper Primary School, the Assistant Education Officer handed over the school documents and key to its manager P.K. Padmarajan. Since the State Government announced the takeover of the school, the school manager is confused about what to do next regarding the property.

According to the school manager, who is a native of Vadakara, he was not in a position to look after the school and provide quality education to students, and hence he came up with the plan to dispose the property and settle down in his hometown.

“I want the land back, and I am not ready to hand it over to the Government, which has not spelled out the terms to me”, he pointed out. “I am not ready to part with the school which I own as I have already put forward an option before the previous Government to take over the school, which it rejected. So far the Government has not met me to discuss taking over the school or the land and no talks on compensation has been held,” he added.