December 2020 – Amaruvi's Aphorisms

Dayananda School contd’

I had been to Dayananda School yesterday as I had wanted to know things first hand.

Located in the foothills of Yelagiri hills ( near the Vainu Pappu Observatory), Kurusilampattu is a writer’s paradise. While clouds kissed the hilltops and created a permanent shield of pleasantness, the school stood majestically at the same time painting a sordid melancholy hue.

The school has Singapore curriculum based teaching for classes upto 8 and later shifts to TN State Matric Board. Special books sourced from a publisher in Mumbai are used to train the children. The school buses, numbering 7, are not operational due to Covid and hence would need Rs 50,000 per bus to become operational once schools are allowed to reopen after COVID.

I don’t want to write anything more on the school except publish some pictures and a short video of my interview with the founder Shri.Saravanan. I leave it to your conscience to help the 927 students realise their dreams.

To sum it up: The school needs a sponsorship of Rs 10,000 per student per year. This would help the school tide over the current salary payment crisis enforced due to COVID. Once schools reopen, parents would start remitting fees and that would help stabilise the situation.

A reader-friend, who had accompanied me , was so taken in by the situation and the works on the ground that he has taken it upon himself to support as many students as possible through his friends’ and office network.

If you know of any other school that provides Singapore curriculum based education upto class 8 in this fee range, I would like to visit that. It is a challenge.

Dayananda School needs help

Pujya Shri Swami Dayanand Saraswati had expressed shock at the lack of good dharmic schools in Tirupattur / Vaniyambadi region and had asked one of his devotees, Shri.Saravanan, to start a school that provided Dharmic values.
Saravanan (42), a bachelor committed to HH Swamiji’s teachings, started the Dayananda Vidyalya at Kurusilampattu, selling off his land holdings and pledging his uncle’s properties. A couple of investors also had advanced Rs 50 lakhs towards this effort.
In addition to matriculation education, the school also provides regular spiritual classes to the underprivileged children.
The school has 900 students and 27 full time teachers. Due to the current corona issue, Saravanan has run into financial difficulties and needs help. Sensing his difficulties, he is being approached by non-dharmic schools with vested interests to sell the school to them.
Incidentally, during the approval process for the school, when Saravanan had faced bureaucratic difficulties, Shri. Gurumurthy, Editor – Thuglak, had used his good offices to get approval from the government, without any out of turn payment to the authorities.
Saravanan has a financial plan prepared earlier with the help of Shri. Badri Seshadri ( Kizakku Publishers) who is also in the academic advisory board of the school. The other donors and well-wishers, who had backed Saravanan’s effort when HH Swamiji was around, are seen to be backing off after HH entered maha samadhi.
Saravanan also provides scholarships to children who can’t afford the meagre fees. 30% of the students either don’t pay any fees due to poverty or are on scholarship that Saravanan provides.
I am coordinating with some friends to help this school now as the COVID situation has worsened the financial situation of Saravanan’s Manam Malarattum Trust that runs the school.
While long term help is being secured, the immediate need is to support the school financially to pay the salaries to the teachers who are conducting online classes to the children. Also note that Saravanan had to downsize the teacher count from 57 to 27 to reduce the cost of operations and it takes Rs 4 lakhs per month for teachers’ salaries alone.
Hence most urgent ask is for emergency funding to pay salaries to the teachers. Bank details are as below. 80G benefit exists for donations.
Name: Manam Malarattum
A/C Number: 902907151
A/C Type: Current
IFSC: IDIB000M184
Bank : Indian Bank,
Branch : Mittur
Please send a mail to manam(.)malarattum(@)gmail(.)com with reference number / screen shot and your name to get your receipts.
The school is here.