High School .1

Moving from a single hall school to one room for each section was a thrilling one. More rooms, more teachers and much more students, is a new thing for me at that time. More so was when we see different teachers for different subjects.

I had to walk ( no road or transport) 5 KM and it was a good exercise. At times I used to run most of the distance. Half the distance is through cultivable lands. So it will be a challenge during rainy and cultivation times. We have to walk on the varambu ( elevated boundaries of the individual plot). During cultivation times, this will be trimmed and covered with mud. It becomes additional task to clean the mud at the last possible location. But it was enjoyable to walk and do circus (balance).

It was a co-education school. Each standard (6th to 11th) had two sections, one only boys and the other mixed. I was put in that section. Out of 40 students (8 benches) only one bench had boys - 5 persons.

The teacher created competition between boys and girls so there was a good chance to score marks.

Here too I had a good class teacher Mr Sethuramalingam. He always comes in white shirt and dhoti, soft spoken but strict. My village background and sincerity in the studies might have  brought the class teacher closer to me.

During the school days one thing I could not understand was the influence / respect my father had with the teachers. While many parents used to be called by the school administration, my father was not called. But one day around 10 AM, I got a message from school office that my father has to come on that day itself.

I immediately started for home, asked my father to get ready and  to come to school with my father. Sensing something may be wrong he also got ready and we returned in the hot sun.

As we entered the school, my class teacher was waiting for us and he was very apologetic to my father for the disturbance. We all went to the office and the class teacher banged the clerk who gave the message to me, and complained to the Head Master also. He gave instructions that  anything required with me shall be informed to him first. He instructed me also that I should inform him any office requirements.

Any fee payment, certificate charges etc., only the teacher will tell (mostly he will pay first) me to bring.