Old govt school in north Kerala turns hi-tech and even AR Rahman knows it

The music maestro is all praises for the school, which boasts 50 modern toilets, a dining room with a capacity of more than 2500 students, and a gym among other facilities, saying, "You have really shown that a government high school can become like this."

Once you enter the campus, you might mistake it for an international B school. This is what music maestro AR Rehman also feels, "You have really shown that a government high school can become like this."

High-tech-classrooms-with-200-computers-a-vast-library-a-laboratory-50-modern-toilets-a-dining-room-with-a-capacity-of-more-than-2500-students-a-gym-and-a-big-indoor-stadium-make-this-school-in-Nadakavu-in-north-Kerala-a-truly-special-one-HT-Photo

A visionary legislator from IIM-Kozhikode, an NRI philanthropist and Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) all rubbed shoulders to attain the government girls’ higher secondary school in Nadakavu (Kozhikode in north Kerala) an international status.

High-tech classrooms with 200 computers, a vast library, a laboratory, 50 modern toilets, a dining room with a capacity of more than 2500 students, a gym and a big indoor stadium and another astro-turf open playground set this government school a class apart.

Foreign teachers visit the campus often along with best from the country. Interestingly, a majority of the students are from poor families. Isro has built the science lab while quality education and enhancement skills were developed by IIM-K. The school was also given a boost by IT giant Infosys.

"I wanted to turn the government school more attractive. It should attract best minds. So we developed a plan called Prism (Promoting Regional Schools to International Standards through Multiple Interventions)," said the brain behind the move, Kozhikode MLA, A Pradeep Kumar of the CPM.

Soon NRI businessman T Faizal and his wife Shabna Faizal released some generous donations and Rs25 crore were spent to uplift the 120-year-old girls’ high school.

The project proposals of Prism were prepared with the help of Social Service group of IIM. It found a number of challenges being faced by such schools, including poor infrastructure, low morale of students and teachers and missing amenities like toilets.