A month after bus tragedy, Pang school begins anew

Kozhikode: The Praveshanolsavam at GLP School, Pang turned into a quiet reaffirmation of resilience on Monday as the school, devastated by Valparai bus tragedy that claimed the lives of five teachers, stepped into the new academic year with hope and renewed spirit. Barely a month after the accident, govt appointed four new teachers and handed over the charge of headmaster to K Ahmed Kutty, the headmaster of nearby GUP School, Pang.

“This is a new beginning for us. Today, we had only one aim- to make the day joyful and memorable for all children. We did not want them to enter the new academic year carrying the lingering sadness of the tragedy,” he said.

The campus came alive with songs, colours and celebrations as singer Atul Narukara entertained students with folk songs and other numbers requested by children. Determined to make the reopening special, the school arranged sweets, payasam and biriyani as part of celebrations.

Kutty said the new teachers had already visited the homes of students to familiarize themselves with the children and their families. He said counselling support had been arranged for students, with more sessions planned in the coming days to help them recover from the trauma. Teacher K K Raghi said the school received 17 fresh admissions to Class I this year, taking the total student strength to 150.

The school underwent a major facelift ahead of its reopening. Vice-president Sulekha Mozhikkal said Kuruva grama panchayat had earmarked Rs 30 lakh for renovating and upgrading the school’s infrastructure.

The accident at Valparai happened on April 17 during an excursion and five of the school’s six teachers lost their lives, including headteacher Ajitha (54) of Pulamanthole, who was just a year away from retirement. Ramla (52), Suhara (43), Asha (41) of Kolathur, and Majeed (43) were killed in the accident. The accident also claimed the lives of school cook Sajitha and school bus driver Noushad.