St Aloysius loses its sheen

St Aloysius loses its sheen
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Highlights

St Aloysius High School run by congregation of the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales at One Town area is struggling to regain its past glory.

Visakhapatnam: St Aloysius High School run by congregation of the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales at One Town area is struggling to regain its past glory.

Despite having impressive multi-storey school buildings with a blend of Gothic architecture and modern styles in a sprawling area, once upon a time elite school, is now finding no way to keep it students’ enrolment. A glance at the students pursuing studies in the school over a period proves the same.

“Any school set up nowadays get overwhelming response for admissions as per the infrastructure they provide. Though our school is equipped with adequate labs, class rooms, library, auditoriums, hostel, playground and courtyard, the students’ strength dipped to 1,000 over a period,” said Fr. Shaju, boarding director of the school.

By taking number of class rooms into consideration in the school, the campus could accommodate minimum 3,000 students, said an employee.

When the school management look back at the rise and fall of the school, there may be many reasons that had contributed to lose its sheen. Some of which including uneven development of the city neglecting the One Town area, proliferation of private residential and corporate schools and high-levels of pollution in the area, said Fr Shaju.

Apparently, it seems like major institutions Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Visakhapatnam Post Trust (VPT), Pollution Control Board (PCB) and even school management have been instrumental in taking a few unwise decisions.
According to parents, coal dust because of VPT activity might affect their children health has become a cause for concern for them.

“Well, it is true that VPT did nothing in the initial phase to control pollution levels. Though it is willing to take some positive steps now after a hue and cry, may be the situation is out of hands to restore the shining image of the school in the consciousness of public,” said Srinivas, a resident of the area.

While speaking to a few alumni, they said, “The school management had never gone for advertising during admissions time. Our parents joined us in the school only because of word-of-mouth at that time. Moreover, there has been no damage control activity taken up over high pollution levels news reports.”

Talking to The Hans India, INTACH Vizag chapter convener PV Prasad said St Aloysius High School has been put up in their heritage sites list and therefore it would be protected.

By Y Abhishek Paul

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