Government school in Virudhunagar district celebrates centenary year

Government Higher Secondary School at S. Ammapatti in Virudhunagar district celebrated its centenary year on Saturday (January 31, 2026).

K. Radhakrishnan, former Tamil Nadu Director General of Police, who is also an alumnus the school presided over the function and addressed the students.

Tracing the history of the school, Mr. Radhakrishnan, said the school was founded in 1925 as an elementary school having classes upto 5th standard. It got upgraded in 1940.

Mr. Radhakrishnan, who had completed his entire school education upto 8th standard in this school, said that he found that lot of youngsters in S. Ammapatti, his native place, were quitting education as there was no high schoool or higher secondary school.

“Since we could not find any Government land suitable for constructing a bigger school building for upgradation, my family came forward to donate 5.4 acres of land,” he added.

With the support of the then School Education Minister, Thangam Thennarasu and then Chief Educational Officer, S. Nagaraja Murugan, the school got new buildings and got upgraded as high school in 2006 and subsequently became a higher secondary school in 2010.

The school had been attracting students from some 30 villages around till two more high schools came in the vicinity over the years.

The school has got around 500 students and has secured centum results in Plus Two since 2019.

“The school has produced several engineers, teachers, graduates and successful people in various walks of life. But, for this school, many young children could have failed to get proper education. We are proud that one the students of this school will soon become a doctor,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said.

After a local resident, Packiayaraj donated his land, the villagers brought a Government hostel to benefit the students.

School Headmaster, A. Surekha, head of Parents’ Teachers’ Association, Rengarajan, Muthu Bhattar of Pennington Liberary Committee, advocate Annakodi, teachers and students were among those who took part in the event.