This year, the Munnar Government Vocational Higher Secondary School proudly commemorates a century of enriching young lives in the charming hill station. What began as a high school, ingeniously housed in a disused British tea factory amidst Munnar’s sprawling tea plantations, was initially established to provide education for the children of plantation workers. It holds the distinction of being the region’s very first high school.
According to historical records, the Kanan Devan Producer Company, a British-owned enterprise, founded the high school in 1926. Decades later, in 1955, the government assumed control of the institution, subsequently elevating its status to a vocational higher secondary school, broadening its educational scope.
Writer and journalist M.J. Babu, in his book Munnar, Charithram Vishesham, meticulously recounts the school’s crucial role in shaping the educational landscape of the Munnar hills. He highlights Thomas John, a Malayali, as the institution’s inaugural headteacher. The narrative explains that Mr. John, returning from higher education in Britain, encountered British managers of the Kanan Devan tea plantation during his voyage. Impressed by his credentials, they extended an invitation for him to lead the newly established school.
A New Chapter in a Historic Tea Factory
M.J. Babu, who now serves as the school’s alumni association president, reveals that the educational facility was constructed within a tea factory that had been severely damaged during the devastating 1924 floods. To accommodate students from distant estates, a boys’ hostel was established nearby. Interestingly, the school authorities creatively repurposed a section of an abandoned train to provide heated water for the hostel residents.
Distinguished Alumni and Ongoing Legacy
The school boasts a proud list of accomplished alumni, including eminent figures like Walter Devaram, who went on to become the former Director General of Police for Tamil Nadu, as noted by Mr. Babu.
Currently, Headteacher S. Jayalakshmi reports that 560 students are enrolled in the high school section of Munnar Government Vocational Higher Secondary School. Devikulam MLA A. Raja recently launched the year-long centenary celebrations, with numerous anniversary events planned for the school in the upcoming months.