Rendezvous with SAV School

This time when I was Tuticorin I was determined to meet my Accountancy teacher Mr Paneerselvam of SAV Hr Sec School. I am convinced that what I am today is due to the sound fundamental knowledge of commerce and accounting imparted by this great teacher. (Now you know who needs to be blamed!! ha!! ha!!) It has been atleast 10 years since I met him. He was a wonderful teacher of Accountancy and Commerce in my XI and XII standard. He was our Class Teacher as well. The way he taught fundamentals of accounting are still evergreen in memory. He used to lay lot of importance on discipline as well. There are many stories on how he used to be a real taskmaster but in hindsight it is all for the good of the students only. He commanded the respect and adoration of all my classmates. Even today when I meet up with my classmates, his teaching was fondly recalled and we have all enjoyed it to a great extent.

I went to SAV School and met him on an afternoon. Age has caught up with him and he is balding but it didnt anyway diminish his wit and acumen. I appraised him of what I am doing and thanked him profusely for all his mentoring and guidance. Even after many years, he still remembers the day I joined the SAV School for the XI standard commerce stream. When I got decent marks in X standard, I was expected to join the Science stream and aspire to be an Engineer or a Doctor, as a natural progression. But I got inspired by my elder cousin brother who did his C.A and I was determined to join the Commerce Stream and that too in SAV School. Those days SAV School Commerce stream was the place to be if you wanted to study Accountancy and Commerce group. By the time I was leaving Karapettai after my X standard, the school has already introduced the commerce stream. They wanted me to join it but my mind was elsewhere, to be with my friends in SAV. Somehow I managed to dodge the Karapettai School Headmaster and got myself admitted in XI commerce stream in SAV. The reason being, it is closer to my home and SAV Commerce stream had a reputation of highest order. Partly due to teachers like Mr Paneerselvam.

Coming back to the present, my Sir was lamenting about the poor intake of students into the Commerce stream now and the lack of interest for it. I was told that SAV school overall is at the receiving end of the mushrooming of private schools. The students strength has dropped to 800 students from 1400 students or when I was there. Many classrooms has been kept locked and the number of sections in each class has been drastically reduced due to lower number of students. What a fall for this great educational institution of more than 150 years of existence. My father and uncles studied in this school and it has produced many a stalwarts including yours truly!!?? I was truly shocked to know that my Economics teacher Mr Madhavan (Madhu) is no more. He died couple of years ago due to a massive heart atack. More than a teacher, he also lived in my same locality and I know him for many years. Very sad.. but that is what life is all about. All things happen sudden and abruptly.

After that I went around the School and took some photographs of the buildings, "Pei" maram and all in true "Autograph" style. But once in a while you need a dosage of nostalgia to keep yourselves up and running. Isnt?