Media coverage on Inauguration of Golden Palm Army School, Chennai

Now, a school for children of defence personnel in city 27 May 2009, 0616 hrs IST, D Madhavan, TNN

CHENNAI: Army personnel in the city, who struggle to get admission for their wards in Kendriya Vidyalayas (Kvs) thanks to the latter reducing their intake following directions from the Centre, need not worry anymore. They can enroll their children in the Golden Palm Army School in Nandambakkam that was opened on Tuesday by major general E J Kochekkan, general officer commanding, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala (ATNK&K) Area. Regular classes will begin from July 6. "Our personnel have had problems getting admission for their wards in other schools. Now, a large number of families in the city will benefit," Kochekkan told TOI. The secondary-level school, upto Class 7, will be extended to Class 10 next year and will be made a senior secondary school the subsequent year. "We want to make it a dream school' where emphasis will not only be on academics but also on preparing students mentally to take on the challenges in life," said principal Uma Chandrashekar. The school, with 45 classrooms and a capacity to accommodate 1,800 students, is affliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Each class will have 35 students as per Union government guidelines. It will follow a system of differential fee structure, where children of civilians will pay more than those of army personnel. "While priority will be given to children of army personnel, 20% of seats will be given to those of civilians," said AWES additional director Colonel S V Sundar. The school was built at an estimated cost of Rs 8.9 crore by the Army Welfare Education Society (AWES) on an eight-acre campus which includes street lighting, roads, footpaths, parking facilities, a sewage disposal system and a rainwater harvesting system. Among the southern states, Andhra Pradesh has three army schools (two in Secunderabad and one in Hyderabad) while Kerala and Tamil Nadu have two each and Karnataka one in Bangalore. madhavan.d@timesgroup.com Online edition of India's National Newspaper Wednesday, May 27, 2009 Army opens secondary school in Chennai Special Correspondent Will earmark 20 per cent of 1,800 seats for civilians — Photo: S.S. Kumar E.J. Kochekkan, General Officer Commanding, headquarters, ATNK&K Area (second from left), coming out of the Golden Palm Army School which he inaugurated at Nandambakkam in Chennai on Tuesday. CHENNAI: The Indian Army on Tuesday opened its first secondary school in Chennai to cater to the educational needs of children of its serving and retired officers. Golden Palm Army School at Nandambakkam, built at an estimated cost of Rs.8.91 crore, will earmark 20 per cent of its 1,800 seats for classes I to VII for civil society. With 45 classrooms, the school offering CBSE syllabus boasts of lavish playground spaces and parking bays. There is only a single disembarking point off the parking lot to ensure child safety and avoid accidents. “The school will fill the void in children’s education faced by Army officers coming to Chennai on postings,” E.J.Kochekkan, General Officer Commanding, headquarters ATNK & K Area, told reporters after commissioning the facility. The Army has fixed a differentiated, yet affordable, fee structure where civilians will shell out slightly more. Admission will be strictly based on merit, he said. To begin with, the intake would be 35 students per classroom, which would be scaled up to 40 students later, school administrators said. The school will be open to the maiden batch of students on July 6. It will be handed over to the Army Welfare and Education Society in 2010. Asked about the status of the inquiry into the mob attack on an Army convoy in Coimbatore, Mr.Kochekkan said the military establishment had complete faith in the State government. A few arrests had been made and inquiry was progressing. The New Indian Express Army school opened Chennai Major General E J Ko chekkan, General Officer Commanding, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala (ATNK&K) areas, inaugurated the first secondary level army school in city on Tuesday. The school will open on July 6 ■ ENS Army opens school in Chennai PTI Wednesday, May 27, 2009 15:54 IST Chennai: The Indian Army has opened its first school in the metropolis to cater to the educational needs of children of its serving and retired officers. The Golden Palm Army School at Nandambakkam, built at a cost of about Rs 12 crore, is run under the aegis of Headquarters, Andhra Tamil Nadu Karnataka and Kerala (ATNKK) area, and is expected to metamorphose into an Army Public School by next year, a Defence release said here today. The school caters to students from all strata of society with priority given towards serving and retired army personnel, Central and State Government employees. At present, the school has classes up to seventh standard, which would be increased up to 12th standard in the academic session. The school, expected to be opened by June this year, was inaugurated by Maj Gen E J Kochekkan yesterday, the release said. Wednesday May 27, 2009 Army school at Nandambakkam May 27th, 2009 By Our Correspondent Chennai, May 26:In order to facilitate better education to the kids of army personnel, the Indian Army has set open the first Army school in the city at Nandambakkam on Tuesday. Major General E J Kochekkan, general officer commanding of Andaman, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala inaugurated the Golden Palm Army School, which is spread over eight acres of land. The school covers an area of 7,800 sq meters and can accommodate 1,800 students. According to S. V. Sunder, additional director, Army Welfare Education Society (AWES), during the first year it would be a regimental school and subsequently from the next year the school will come under the aegis of AWES. Dinamalar 27/5/2009 - Chennai