As SRV school turns 180 , its glorious legacy is in peril

Sree Rama Varma (SRV) Government Higher Secondary School, which has produced stalwarts across diverse fields over the years, is set to celebrate its 180th anniversary on Sunday, amid an existential crisis faced by its high school section, where student numbers have plummeted to alarming levels over the past decade. The school counts among its alumni eminent scientist and former ISRO chairman K. Kasturirangan, spiritual leader Swami Chinmayananda, author N.S. Madhavan, Dr. A.K. Sabhapathy-one of the oldest alumni and life patron of the SRV School Old Students’ Association-filmmakers Aashiq Abu and Amal Neerad, and many more. While the institution rightfully lays claim to its rich legacy, its current state is far from rosy, with only 50 students enrolled across all three high school classes combined, including 11 migrants. This decline marks more than a mere fall from grace for a school that, until the 1990s, boasted thousands of students spread across multiple divisions in each grade. “We do try to canvass students ahead of every academic year, but with little success, given the lack of facilities, including a vehicle for conveyance. While a vehicle can be procured through funds from elected representatives, there are no avenues to meet operational expenses such as fuel, staff salaries, maintenance, insurance, and taxes. Moreover, there is poaching from other schools. For instance, five students who were about to join at the start of this academic year were lured away by two other schools in the city,” said the school authorities. Although the high school section, originally reserved for boys, was permitted to admit girls from last year, the impact has been minimal. The school now has 10 girl students. Notably, the girls’ football team has been performing well, though thanks to support from the district sports council. However, the school lacks a physical education teacher due to the insufficient number of students. The low enrolment has forced high school classes to be confined to first-floor rooms, with the ground floor allocated to vocational higher secondary classes. | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT The low enrolment has forced high school classes to be confined to first-floor rooms, with the ground floor allocated to vocational higher secondary classes. The school also suffers from a shortage of laboratories, and pins its hopes on the Kochi Corporation for a mathematics lab. If student numbers continue to decline, the current eight teaching posts may be further reduced. The anniversary celebrations being organised under the aegis of Old Students’ Association will be followed by an alumni meet on Sunday. The event will last from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Published - December 27, 2025 08:06 pm IST

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