The Residential Home
The residential home cover an area of 4 grounds. It houses
two sections -
The Orphanage and the Destitute Children's Section.
Avvai Home provides residence to nearly 150 childern
including the orphanage and the destitute home.
Their ages ranged from 5 years to 17 years.
Most of the children were brought up by their widowed
or deserted mothers because of poverty and the need
for protection, and grow up in the home from the primary
school stage to the X or XII Standard, till they join
one of the professional courses or get married. The
Home, therefore, nurtures them at its cost till they
are finally settled.
The Pre-Primary and the Primary Schools
The outgoing Honorary Secretary, Mrs. Mandakini Krishnamurthi,
introduced this facility in the Avvai Home in 1950 as
a school for "Basic Education" on the
lines of the pioneering one in Sewagram, established by
Shri Aryiyanayagam and Smt. Asha Devi under the guidance
of Gandhiji. Over the years it has gradually transformed
to its present standard form of pre-primary and primary
school.
It is located in its own self-contained campus of 22
grounds, immediately adjoining the main center. The
22 grounds, however, at present are leased from the
Thiruvannamalai Devasthanam.
The Pre-Primary unit has 68 children - 45 girls and
23 boys, all about the age of 4 years. The kindergarten
methodology is largely followed.
The Primary School has five standards - I to V, housed
in 20 sections. There are 776 children - 539 girls and
237 boys. All the children are 10years old or younger.
There are 21 teachers, a proportion of 1 teacher to
60 children as permitted by the Department of Education.
The Government of Tamil Nadu aids the school, for its
maintenance.
The medium of instruction is Tamil. The Syllabi for
the different class are framed in accordance with the
guidelines formulated by the Education Department. In
the I and II Standards elementary Tamil, numericals,
stories in regard to environment, physical health and
hygiene and good conduct are taught. From the III Standard
onwards the elements of English, Arithmetic, anatomy
and physiology and organized sports are added. The "SarvasikshaAbhiyan"
constitutes the background of education in the primary
school. Physical training, scouting and cultural programs
are an integral part of syllabus. There is also a literary
forum where discussions and debates are encouraged.
There is also a moderately well stocked Tamil library
containing children's storybooks, epics and a few magazines.
An "Activity Room" is a special feature
of the primary school program of Avvai Home. This Room
provides an opportunity for childern to "Do
and Learn". Funded by Dr. L.S. Saraswathy,
an educationist, and organised by Dr. Shereen Broido,
this place gives ample scope for children to try out
on their own.
The parent-teacher association in the Avvai Home Primary
School is quite active as most of the children live
in the neighborhood, belong to the lower income groups
and their parents feel a part of the whole family.
Dr. T.V. Ramamurthi Higher Secondary School
This school was established in 1963 -64 with a munificent
donation from Smt. Nallamuthu Ramamurthi, wife of Sri
T.V. Ramamurthi, in memory of her late husband. Smt.
Nallamuthu Ramamurthi was a distinguished educationist
and the first Indian principal of the Queen Mary's college
for women (The first women's college to be established
in India).
The T.V.R. Higher Secondary School is an exclusively
girl's school. During 2002 - 03 its total student's
strength was 1419, distributed over 35 sections. The
school is a State Board School aided by the State Government.
The medium of instruction from VI to X Standard is Tamil.
In the XI and XII Standards both English and Tamil media
are offered.
An English Medium section existis in all classes from
VI.
Group I:
Tamil Medium - Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology
Group II:
Tamil medium - Chemistry, Physics, Botany and Zoology
Group III:
Tamil Medium - Economics, Commerce, Accountancy and Business
Mathematics.
Group IV:
Tamil Medium - Economics, Commerce, Accountancy and
Computer Science.
Group V:
Tamil Medium - History, Geography, Economics and Computer
Science.
The Teacher's Training Institute
The year 2002 -03 was the golden jubilee year of the
Teacher's Training Institute. Established in 1952 by
Dr. S. Muthulakshmi Reddy and Mrs. Mandakini Krishnamurthi,
it has in its life of 70 years trained over 2,500 girls
as primary and middle school teachers, who are spread
all over Tamil Nadu. Throughout these 57 years it has
been in essence an institution, dedicated to the cause
of education. It has helped in deployment of girls from
the poorer social-economic strata as independent professional
teachers. The Teacher's Training Institute is recognized
by the Government of Tamil Nadu and accredited by the
National Council of Teacher's Education Research and
Training. (NCTERT).
The D.T.E Course is a two-year one. The minimum qualification
for entering the course is a high performance pass in
the XII standard public examination. 60% of the students
are admitted through the single window system and open
competition. The balance is through the management quota.
The permissible number of seats available in each year
is 40, of which, 24 is alloted through counselling and
16 is selected by the management.
The T.T.I is a residential institution. All students
stay in a hostel in the campus. Residential regulations
are enforced strictly.
Apart from the didactic class lectures, the student
trainees are exposed to the actual teaching methods
practiced in the Avvai Home Primary and Middle Schools
and other Schools in the area. They are also instructed
to conduct classes on their own in the Avvai Home schools.
Extra curricular activities include literary forums,
social-welfare programs, sports and cultural performances.
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