Alma Mater to many a stalwart in politics and society and some of the finest creative minds in erstwhile Travancore, the Higher Secondary School (HSS) Chettikulangara is celebrating its 90th anniversary on August 28.
Founded by social worker and educationist A.N.P. Nair, a close associate of Mannath Padmanabhan and Pattom A. Thanu Pillai, in 1932 as a Malayalam medium school, the HSS Chettikulangara was a citadel of creativity in south Kerala for several decades. Shepherding it alongside A.N.P. Nair was ace playwright and actor Kainikkara Kumara Pillai, who was also the Chief Editor of ‘Vidyalaya Poshini’, a journal focused on education.
‘Akbar’ Sankara Pillai, known for his virtuoso performances on stage, was a drawing master at the school. He went beyond his calling to turn the school into a centre of theatrical arts and the school soon became a venue for Kathakali, Ottan Thullal and dramatic performances, music recitals, and literary gatherings. Gracing the venue at the time, besides Sankara Pillai and Kainikkara, were the likes of ‘Anarkali’ Vasudevan and E.V. Krishna Pillai.
The school also produced torchbearers in their respective fields such as writer K.P. Raman Pillai, who penned the long-time school assembly prayer song ‘Akhilanda Mandalam Aniyochurukki’, novelist Parappurath K.E. Mathai, Mridangam maestro Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair, actor O. Madhavan, Kathaprasamgom exponent R.K. Kottaram, politicians Eravankara Gopala Kurup and S. Govinda Kurup, Malayala Rajyam Editor Gopala Pillai, scientist K. Sadasivan Pillai, and many others.
With its establishment, the HSS Chettikulangara filled a huge void in education in the Onattukara region, which now spans parts of the Alappuzha and Kollam districts. Though started as a Malayalam school, it became an English High School in 1948. During those days, one had to go as far away as Kottarakkara or Changanassery to undergo higher-grade teacher training. This need too was addressed by A.N.P. Nair by setting up a Higher Grade Training School attached to HSS Chettikulangara. Today, a lower primary school and an English medium nursery form part of the school complex.
While several teachers at the school have won State and National Awards for Excellence, the students have been bringing laurels to HSS Chettikulangara in State and district-level youth festivals and national-level science fairs.
The school celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1981 and its Platinum Jubilee in 2006. The school, with a student strength of over 1,600, is now run by the A.N.P. Nair Memorial Trust headed by physician Dr. K.P. Sukumara Pillai.
The Navati celebrations of the school will be inaugurated by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on August 28 at 7.30 p.m. Education Minister V. Sivan Kutty, MLAs Ramesh Chennithala and U. Prathibha, and former ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan would grace the occasion.
