AWARD-- 7 ::

TEACHER’S CASH AWARD TO ENCOURAGE MERITORIOUS STUDENTS

BY P S SUNDAR

While Plus Two exams begin on Friday, students of Political Science in the 150-year-old St Antony’s Higher Secondary School here are encouraged to perform well due to cash award coming from their Master.

“I began teaching Political Science for Plus Two students last year and I announced a cash award of ` 10,000 to every student who scores 180 marks out of 200 in this subject in public exam.  In the first year after this announcement (2014-15), two students scored these high marks.  Our Headmaster Bro Arul wanted my cash award to be given to them at a public function so that it would incentivise other students”, teacher G Rajendran told me.

Accordingly, IAS officer C Paulrasu, Executive Director of Tea Board, gave ` 10,000 each to the two students, Mohammed Hasan and Praveen Kumar, in the presence of District Educational Officer Natarasan and Headmaster Bro Arul to the applause of a large gathering of students, teachers and parents.

“I save a specific amount from my salary for this purpose.  All the 44 students who wrote Political Science last year passed.  This year, 54 students are taking up this exam.  As my cash award is annual, we see an interest among current year students to score high marks”, Rajendran said.

“I studied hard to get ` 10,000 as I hail from a poor family – my father Iqbal sells flowers and my mother Sabina Bhanu is housewife.   This sum is helpful for my higher education as I am studying for BCom (CA) in Coimbatore.  I scored 186 marks, all-time highest in the school since Plus Two started 36 years ago”, said Mohammed Hasan.

Mohammed Hasan is being honoured with cash award by Paulrasu with Bro Arul (left) and Rajendran (right) looking on.

“I scored 183 marks working hard for this cash reward.  This is useful for my BSc (Psychology) course I am doing in Coimbatore as my father Badran is a tea chest coolie worker (porter) and mother Kavitha is as domestic maid”, said Praveen Kumar.

Praveen Kumar is being honoured with cash award by Paulrasu with Bro Arul (left) and Rajendran (right) looking on.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)