Vadakkekkad: With just four years left to complete a century of service, the AMLP School at Vylathoor has now ceased operations.
The school officially shut down after its last remaining teacher retired on May 31. For the past three years, it had fewer than ten students. With no staff left, the remaining students have been transferred to nearby schools.
Established in 1927 by Azhiyahu Moosakuty Musaliyar, the school stood on a half-acre property and was equipped with four classrooms, toilets, a computer lab, library, stage, playground and a compound wall. A A Kunjahammed served as its last appointed manager and headmaster. Since his passing in 2008, no successor was officially appointed to manage the school.
In the absence of a new manager, his daughter-in-law, R K Shakkeela, took charge and served as headmistress. She has now retired, bringing the institution to a standstill.
The school’s decline is largely attributed to an unresolved dispute over its management. Although Kunjahammed’s wife had been recommended for the manager’s post, the appointment never materialized. The resulting administrative vacuum stalled permanent teacher appointments, causing student numbers to dwindle. In recent years, the school was being run by temporary teachers.
With the school now effectively closed, children from economically modest households nearby are facing challenges. Their only options are the school at Nayarangadi, which is located two kilometres away from here or the Kuranjiyoor ALP School in Punnayoor Panchayat. Both are farther than what many parents can comfortably manage and the added burden of transportation costs has made the situation harder.
Though there are no longer any teachers or students, officials insist that the Vylathoor AMLP School has not been officially shut down, citing the state government’s policy against closing schools.