Language Wise

The S V S school was set up by the South Indian Association,Khadki,in 1924,with the aim of imparting education in Tamil language to migrant families from Tamil Nadu who had settled in Pune after having landed here in search of jobs. After the S V Union School,S V S school,Khadki is the only second and the oldest school imparting education in Tamil language in Pune. For hundreds of those who settled in Khadki,Range Hills and Bopodi area,the S V S high school has helped them learn their own language and gain valuable insight into the culture and tradition of the Dravidian land.

In the beginning,the S V S school was a Tamil medium institute up to class seven. Nearly five decades later, the school was converted into English medium one with Tamil language remaining restricted up to class four. “However,from class five up to class ten,there are still atleast a group of students in every class who have taken Tamil as an alternative language,” says Francis David,president of the school.

Principal Agnes Paul shares about the popularity of the language in the 80s.”We used to have nearly 150 students up to class four. All these students came from Khadki,Range Hills and Bopodi areas primarily. The school has held aloft the Tamil flag with pride since 1924,” she says. Currently there are four divisions up to class four. Each class has a separate teacher who is well-versed in Tamil language. Each class has more than 20-odd students. “These students are multilingual. They know English,Marathi,Hindi and then can speak fluent Tamil as well which gives them an advantage over hundreds of students in the city. A Class X student has an option to choose between Tamil and Marathi,” says Paul. The Tamil festival,Pongal is also celebrated every year with enthusiasm. “During Pongal,the school wears a festive look. The festival is being celebrated in the school with same enthusiasm as it has been for years,” says Paul.

Compared to other schools in the city,the fees charged by S V S school is a big relief for hassled parents. “Our annual fees does not exceed Rs 1,500,” says the principal. This when several schools in the city are charging upwards of Rs 12,000 per annum. Agnes Paul said the school has turned a new corner as its past few Class X batches have scored cent per cent results. “The school has been performing exceedingly well for past few years and we hope to keep the momentum going.”.

The school gained national fame when one of its students,Dhanraj Pillay,first made it to India’s hockey team and then shone as national captain. Dhanraj often visits the school for functions. “Probably no other student in Pune has made its school so famous.Dhanraj is the pride of the school and Pune,” says Maniraj,a staffer. The school managing committee is headed by Francis David as president,Omprakash Ratnaswamy,vice-president,Henry Joseph,vice-president,Prof S A Kanakaraj,general secretary,Christopher D’Cruz and S Ananthanarayanan,joint secretaries.