Back side of girls hostel building at Government Ashram High School, Thirunelli.
Around 120 Paniya and Adiya tribal girls studying at Government Ashram High School, Thirunelli, in Wayanad, have been forced to live in three classrooms since the girls’ hostel was declared unsafe in July this year. With only one toilet, the indigenous girls are going through a harrowing ordeal.
Government Ashram High School, popularly known as Thirunelli Ashram School, remains the only residential school for Paniya and Adiya children from Wayanad and Kozhikode districts. After the Public Works Department (PWD) deemed the girls’ hostel unsuitable in July, the girls were shifted to three classrooms on the first floor of the three-storey school building.
Classes at the school are interrupted and moved to the computer room, the library and the stage. Run by the Scheduled Tribes Development Department (STDD), the school offers classes from 1 to 10 and is known for its children’s athletics.
Although the STDD has decided to shift the school to a new model residential school in Aralam, Kannur, uncertainty remains over the relocation of 250 students and more than 40 staff. STDD Superintendent N. Jayan said the department had already paid ₹ 21 lakh to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and was waiting for electricity connection in Aralam.
Native children of Government Ashram High School, Thirunelli, run barefoot on an asphalt road during the school’s intramural sports meet held in September.
Mr. Jayan said that all the arrangements at Aralam were ready. “We hope to move to Aralam within a week after the power grid is connected,” he said.
The relocation of the school to Aralam in Kannur district, about 60 km from Thirunelli, has raised concerns. Parents who currently visit their children every week from different parts of Wayanad would have a much longer journey ahead of them.
Located on the edge of the forest, the ashram school faces neglect from the authorities. Without a compound wall or fencing, children face threats from wild animals. Teachers said wild elephants were often seen at the school gate.
Poor hygiene is a frequent complaint of the school and its dormitories. The school sick room looks like a place anyone could get sick from. One of the staff pointed out that forcing about 120 girls to share one toilet underlined the attitude of the authorities.
The school has been maintaining 100% pass rate in SSLC exams for years. His students often dominate the sports meeting of state residential schools. Due to the lack of a sports ground, children had to run barefoot on the asphalt road in school-level competitions. School officials said they had no choice.
Published – 21 Oct 2025 20:58 IST
