St.John's Palayamkottai - Part 1

I had the lifetime oppurtunity to do my higher secondary in the South Indian Oxford of Palayamkottai, spending a couple of years with the most famous St. Johns' Higher Secondary School (saying the full name of the school is not a St.Johns' tradition). If you want to associate some names to the characters, it between the period 1995-1997M

At that time , we are so proud that our school was some kind of big boys' and rowdy school. Infact till date, we are proud , that we are st.john's students (not products). All the pazhams studied in Jayendra, Chinamya kinds of schools, and the only St.Xaviers is considered to be strict and disciplined. (all schools are supposed to be disciplined rite ) . Rose Mary come close to St. Johns in tharuthalai character, but it lacks the something , the native touch and its considered more of an alien with this matriculation syllabus and co-education. Also they had 2 branches, the main and the other, lacking the unique factor of our belowed St.Johns. Independent thinking and self-confidence is nurtured very well and i don't like to use the word product here, which sounds more like the output of some kind of mechanized system.

I agree it was some kinda 'tharuthalai' school, where teachers freely talk politics in classroom and don't feel ashamed to be foul mouthed. To give you an idea, our physics master is pro DMK, and ADMK was the ruling party then. Whenever he addresses Jayalalitha, obviously the "Thev" word will be prefixed. Discussions about public affairs, court rulings, quota reservations are quite common in classrooms. Teaching will be last thing in their agenda, as they know students will take care of themselves (self-confidence part i mentioned earlier), by any means. I will come to the "any means" later.

Politics will be injected into the your blood, even if you don't want it. Also you can find invisible Jaathi Sangams inside of the school. Active members of the so called 'Rasigar Mandrams' proudly display their badges to other pals in the school. The school pupil leader election is a proving point for those guys. We unfortunate guys in English medium, were not encouraged to participate in these elections or are supposed to "study". See the logic here, its not that all students are supposed to study in a school; konjam over aa theriyala, but that is the fact.

There was also a strike-culture prevalent at that time. Whenever the senior college (St.Johns) goes on strike, the junior college (school) needs to be closed, as a courtesy gesture instructed by the revolting students. Naanga urupadama pona mattum pathathu, ellarum urupadaama poganum !!

We eagerly await when the St.John's college runs into a strike, since our school will be closed due to security reasons !! By security reasons, you should not thing something else. We, as students were always safe. Its the security of the teaching staff. Some of our 'annans' might take revenge on their almamater or thier beloved teachers.

The process of strike was so gentle-manly. The students union chairman of John's college, after decalaring strike (reason can be as silly as .... college canteen ulunthu vadiayil ottai romba perisa iruku ) bunks the classes with this followers, meets the head master of our school . He 'gently' asks to shut the school and by the time negotiations are going on, some of his followers to the class rooms and ask all the students to leave.

Our classroom, was just opposite the head master room. So we'll be waiting with fingers crossed in those tense moments, whether its gonna be a holiday or not. We cannot just run leave our classrom, as the bike stand is next the 'staff room'. So we have to wait for an official annoucnement or the 'long bell' . The john's college guys are the cricket champions of Nellai district ( they are keeping this trophy for past 15-20 years i think ). The folks time the strike so that it coincides with an day-night match of India. You know there is no thrill in just you only bunking the class and watching the match. The underlying principle here is 'Yaan Petra Inbam Peruga Ivvayagam'

By this time, one ex-service man took charge as Head Master of St. Johns. We don't call him Principal or Princy as done in matric schools. So our new HM infact wanted to scrap the student unions and SPL elections and put and end to the strike-culture. Infact this is a welcome development by the teaching staff, as they had a tough time every year in conducting the elections in a peaceful manner. I have not witnessed any violence myself, so I really cannot comment about it. But the word-of-mouth stories about the past elections were quite intersting.

Bye for now !! More exploits to continue !!