Shri E Chandrasekharan, Hon’ble Minister for Revenue,

Dr. M.K. Muneer, MLA, Deputy Opposition Leader

Shri P. Damodharan, President, Ajanur Grama Panchayath

Shri Ashraf, Chairman, Cresent English School,

Shri Mohammed Kunhi, Vice Chairman

Shri Abdulla Kunhi, Manager,

Madhyama Suhruthukkale,

Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,

Ellavarkkum Ente Namaskaram.

I am very happy to inaugurate the newly constructed block of the Crescent English School at Ajanur, Kasaragod district.

Let me begin by expressing my appreciation for the management of this school in upgrading its infrastructure for the benefit of the students.

Today's programme at this school also calls to mind the services of the Late Janab C.H. Muhammed Koya, who had adorned several positions including that of the Chief Minister of Kerala. This school, as we all know, was founded by the
C.H. Muhammad Koya Memorial Educational & Charitable Trustin 1987.

While educational institutions play a great role in shaping our careers and personality, we should also remember that our society itself has been shaped by some extraordinary men and women who acquired the wealth of their knowledge more from life experiences than from institutions of education.   The Late C.H. Muhammed Koya was one such person, who learned from life situations, valuable lessons in democracy, social justice and moral values and imbibed a great vision that even led to the enrichment of the education sector in Kerala.

I am happy that this school, which was started to provide quality, liberal and secular education to all communities, is guided by the ideals of education that the Late C.H. Muhammad Koya always upheld in words and deeds.

As we all know, education is the foundation for a country’s economic, social and environmental growth. It is through education that we all learned about our right to a decent life. It was education that enabled our development as individuals with dignity.  Since our education begins at the school level, we all attach a great value to our school and the little experiences of our formative years. Considering this significance, we have to give priority to ensuring adequate infrastructure in our schools so that our children get the best learning experience.

On a personal level, I must admit that a visit to any school fills my mind with memories of my primary school in my village in Erode District, Tamil Nadu. It was a government school with tiles on the roof and not a single fan in the classroom. In summers, it was too hot, but we had the soothing comfort of the lessons which our teachers imparted to us in all earnestness. We did not have any of the facilities that the schools now have, but at every stage in my career, I have remembered that school with love and gratitude, because that was from where I began my journey. And that was the first place I visited when I became the Chief Justice of India. That is because, for everyone, the school comes next to the mother's lap.

Today, when I see the interest on the part of the Government and various school managements in improving the facilities, I feel that the children of today are much more fortunate than we were. As part of the modernization drive, our State is in the process of ensuring around forty thousand   smart classrooms. The thrust given to Information and Communication Technology in our school education is going to bring great results in the coming years.

I am informed that the Crescent English School has so far produced 18 batches of students who have held the school's esteem high through cent percent success all these years.  It is also good to know that it follows the syllabus of the National Council for Education Research and Training [NCERT] in accordance with the National Educational Policy, which seeks to bring about a harmonious development of the physical, intellectual and moral abilities of the students. It is also laudable that the school has received the coveted ISO 9001 certification of 2008 in view of the academic, co-academic and infrastructural excellence it has attained.

As I mentioned earlier, since school education builds the foundation of our children's future, we have to accord great significance to it.  In our frantic efforts to keep pace with the sweep of information technology, there is a danger of our attention getting concentrated on updating of technical facilities alone. Technological advancement without a human vision will result only in a lop-sided growth.

We have to regard technological growth and the humanistic vision as complementary, rather than contradictory to each other.  Let the devotion to technology encourage our students to employ it for the betterment of the society at large and the less privileged sections of society.

It is also important to expose the children to the social realities of their times and to sensitize them on various inequalities that prevail in society. It is through such social interactions that children shape their opinions and attitudes as they grow up. Therefore, I would suggest that we should give our students as many opportunities as possible for social interactions. Let us remember that it was such interactions that shaped great minds like the Late C.H. Muhammad Koya.

I hope the new building we have inaugurated today would help in the expansion of the school and in improving the quality of the training.

I convey my best wishes to the students, teachers, staff and management of this school. I also compliment the organizers for conducting this function in a befitting manner.

Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal

Nanni

Jai Hind