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5 hours ago
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Students of Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) in Thirumangalakottai Keelaiyur were in for a treat as they hopped on to a brand new bus, gifted by a group of well-wishers, to take them to class on Thursday.
The 42-seat Swaraj Mazda school bus, worth ₹25 lakh, was flagged off amid much excitement, in the presence of office-bearers of the educational welfare organisation Thirumangalakottai Vattara Kalvi Valarchi Kuzhu Trust, and local residents.
Trust president M. Selvaraj, an alumnus of the school, told The Hindu that the bus would increase attendance and raise the profile of government schools.
“It is a small step, but we believe it will help families in and around Thirumangalakottai Keelaiyur, many of whom are not able to afford any transportation. It will convince them to send their children to government school,” said Dr. Selvaraj, a retired general surgeon who runs a nursing home in Thanjavur.
The school has a strength of 230 students. A majority of them usually travel by bicycle or walk to the school every day. “Having a bus makes the daily commute safe, especially for girls,” said headmistress S. Valarmathi.
The bus was bought in Tiruchi, and is expected to require at least ₹40,000 a month as running expenses (including staff salaries). “The trust is planning to build a corpus fund with the help of philanthropic donations for this purpose and add another vehicle within the next three months,” said Dr. Selvaraj.
The school bus will run free of charge until a fee is decided. “We hope the bus fee will be nominal and that the transport facility functions smoothly,” said T. Elango, president of the GHSS Parent Teacher Association and secretary of the trust.
Published - June 19, 2025 05:22 pm IST
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