The teacher-student relationship is not confined to the classrooms, at least not here.Authorities of the Kuzhithura Government Fisheries Higher Secondary School — in the tsunami-hit Alappad panchayat — have set up a hostel for those students who are appearing for their SSLC and Plus-Two examinations.Leading the way is their headmistress P.K. Baby Laila, who has been staying at the school since it reopened on January 10. Though the disaster occurred during the vacations, Baby Laila rushed to the relief camps the following day and collected information about those killed and affected.Eight students of the school were killed in the tsunami, many were orphaned while scores were injured. Around 1,146 of the 1,232 students were affected by the disaster, that included 138 of the 148 SSLC students and 148 of the 182 Plus-Two students.Nearly 60 students — both girls and boys — have been accommodated in the hostel, which started functioning the day their school reopened.The teachers, who first had to identify the students appearing for the examinations, found that they did not have the facilities to study at the relief camps. Besides providing study material to the students, the teachers have helped the children overcome their fear and depression. The authorities are now planning to organise entertainment programmes for the students. Sahayi, a voluntary organisation, has supplied food, uniforms and sewing machines to the school.
