എസ്. വി. ജി. വി. ഹയർസെക്കണ്ടറി സ്കൂൾ കിടങ്ങന്നൂർ/എന്റെ വിദ്യാലയ ഓർമ്മകളിലൂടെ
My school, my pride
It was in the summer of 2004 that I first went to SVGVHSS. My 10th standard results had just come out, as any 16 year old I was confused about what to do next. I was interested in doing Sciences but my love for Humanities was more than my casual interest in higher studies in the natural sciences. I made the conscious choice of choosing Humanities stream after interacting with the friendly teachers. At SVGVHSS, I found the teachers were not just interested in pushing students to do intensive academic learning but also develop the extra-curricular skills. This was at a time when the existing education system was built on who gets the highest marks. The remarkable foresight of the teachers to encourage performing arts, environmental camps, leadership training and a myriad of other activities have turned even the most demure and shy students to be confident about themselves.
My journey to the civil services started with the guidance and help of my family and teachers. The support extended by Jyothish sir, Jacob sir, Sreeraj sir, Indu teacher, Anjana teacher, Prasanna teacher, Chintamani teacher, Shylaja teacher, Preetha teacher and other teachers who took classes or never taught be cannot be overstated. I still fondly remember the time when my classmates and I used to meet before the office to read newspapers and discuss issues. At SVGVHSS I never felt that studying was a chore and that made the learning process more enjoyable. The serene environment, the friendly atmosphere helped me to really understand and evaluate my future prospects.
The success of any school can beseen in the emotional link that exists between the teachers and the students. The continued support that alumni extend to the schools is a testimony to the life-changing years at the school. I am still grateful to the opportunities extended to me at the school. I wouldn’t have imagined myself representing the school at the state youth festival for a poetry competition or the quizzes I participated in. As I look back, these formative steps were crucial in giving me confidence in facing new challenges and the fact that participation counted more than winning.
Throughout life, we meet people who have divergent viewpoints from yours. As a responsible member of the society, it is essential for you to see where these divergent viewpoints emerge and why people believe in them. At SVGVHSS, the diversity of people from all walks of life and viewpoints enriched me as a person. Even though we were a little young and naïve, many of us did have strong viewpoints on socio-economic issues. 11th and 12th are formative years in building a person’s outlook on life and the society, the debates and discussion get more serious and become more impassioned. If needed, the teachers could have easily influenced us to become blind followers of ideologies. Despite this, at no point in time did any of my great teachers at my school enforce anyone to believe a particular political viewpoint is correct or not. I realized the greatness of this much later during my college days where a few teachers would openly preach ideologies much to our chagrin.
Since I have left the school in 2006, I have always tried to keep in contact with my esteemed teachers whenever I can. Its heartening to see the progress the school has made in the past 14 years since I have left the hallowed portals of a great institution. SVGVHSSites and its alumni can hold their heads high to be in one of the top most schools of the state. We are fortunate to have studied in a school that stands for not just academic performance but the overall development of an individual. Education is an enabler for an individual to function as a responsible member of the society, to give meaningful contributions in whatever way possible. My formative years at SVGVHSS gave a me a
different worldview, a more patient and clearer understanding of our world. I have my great teachers, friends and family to thank for that.
- PanickerHarishanker IAS