The B block of the panchayat union primary school at Kondappanaickenpatti in Salem district.
\| Photo Credit: M. Sabari

Air travel as reward for competitions, library time, smart boards, dedicated cleanliness staff and multiple sections for every class. These are not the features of a posh private school, but of a 71-year-old panchayat union primary school at Kondappanaickenpatti, a panchayat belonging to the Salem Panchayat Union near Yercaud Foothills.

On May 7, 2026, it became the first government primary school in the district to receive the ISO 9001:2015 certification and is a shining example of what a government school can be.

Established in July 1955, the school currently has 680 students in classes 1 to 5. The classrooms are spread across two blocks, with block A housing classes I and 2 and block B housing classes 3 to 5. As for teachers, the school has 19, including two on deputation.

Speaking to The Hindu, headmaster C. Antony said teachers make use of nine smart boards to impart education. Every day, the students are allowed an hour of reading time (9.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 2 p.m.). To inculcate reading habit among its students, the school established a digital library with around 4,700 books at a cost of ₹6 lakhin 2024. On the smart board in the library, class 1 and 2 students can listento stories. They are encouraged to recall these stories later and answer questions.

The school also trains students from classes 2 to 4 in basic computer operation on its 10 computers, with separate classes for girls and boys. When girls go to the library, boys are sent to the computer class and vice versa.

Flight of fancy

Competitions such as ‘Solvom Velvom’, ‘Spell Bee’, ‘Do Maths’, and ‘G.K.’ are organised for students, and those who perform well are selected at the end of the year and taken on a flight with the help of sponsors, in an initiative dubbed ‘Flight of Fantasy’.

Notably, 58 students were taken to Chennai from Coimbatore Airport on a flight in 2024-2025, and 30 students were taken to Salem from Chennai in 2025-2026.

The school’s performance did not go unnoticed. It received the district’s ‘Best School’ award as well as the ‘Kamarajar Award’ with a purse of ₹25,000 from the Department of School Education in 2025-2026.

The school applied for the ISO certification through Chandrasekar, an alumnus of the school who is now industrialist. A team from ISO inspected the school thrice in March and issued the certification on May 7, 2026, said Mr. Antony. The school, however, organised a function to announce the certification only on July 20 as everyone was busy with admission and other tasks, he added.

School Management Committee (SMC) president S. Devi said the school has all basic amenities such as clean toilets and drinking water supply. “Normally, class-wise sections are only seen in private schools. Here, however, classes I, 2, and 5 have five sectionseach, and classes 3 and 4 have four sections each,” she said.

Children from Chettichavadi Panchayat, Kannankurichi Town Panchayat, and Hasthampatti in Salem Corporation, too, study at the school. Students from these areas come to school in 15 autorickshaws and three vans.

A number of sponsors, too, support the school. One of them sponsors the salaries of a cleanliness worker and a library staff, added Ms. Devi.

Published - July 23, 2026 06:57 pm IST