On 18 August 2025, students and local fishermen organized a sit-in protest outside the school in Samanthanpettai Fishing Village near Nagapattinam, urging authorities to construct a dedicated building for the village’s high school.
Originally established in 1931 as a municipal primary school, the institution was upgraded to a middle school and then to a high school in 2021. Currently, the school accommodates 189 students, 127 in high school and 62 in primary classes all within the same premises.
For the past four years, residents have been calling for a separate facility for the high school, citing overcrowded classrooms and the inability to implement smart classroom infrastructure due to limited space.
In support of this long-standing demand, students boycotted classes, and fishermen joined the protest outside the school. Discussions were held with Nagapattinam Taluk District Magistrate Nilayatakshi, who assured the protesters that a separate high school building would be constructed, though she noted that it would require time to complete.
Despite the assurance, both the students and fishermen continued their protest. According to District Principal Education Officer Ravichandran, the issue has been officially brought to the attention of both the District Collector and the state’s education department.
"வகுப்புகள் பற்றாக்குறையால் மாணவர்கள், ஆசிரியர்கள் அவதி" பள்ளி முன் மாணவர்கள், கிராம மக்கள் தர்ணா.. நாகையில் பரபரப்பு..!#Nagapattinam #Students #Teachers #Protest #Education #StudentVoice #TeacherUnion #EducationMatters #SchoolProtest #Advocacy #NewsTamil #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/5TV2h3iYPc
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) August 18, 2025
The demonstration had a significant impact on the local economy as well over 3,000 fishermen refrained from going out to sea, resulting in more than 250 boats remaining docked along the shore.
(With inputs from Dinamani)
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