Xii Higher Secondary School

Our school is right on Mettu Street in Alangulam. It’s number 9, and if you’ve lived in this part of Tamil Nadu for a while, you know the neighborhood well. It’s a place where things are always a bit loud because of the students and the traffic outside. The building itself has been around for some time, and you can see the wear and tear on the stairs and in the classrooms. We have old wooden benches that have seen many years of use. Every morning starts with the sound of the bell and children running through the halls. It’s not a perfect place—the fans sometimes squeak, and the walls have marks from years of posters being hung up. We don't have a fancy playground, just a bit of space where the kids gather. Teachers usually spend their breaks in the small staff room, drinking tea and grading papers. It’s a lot of hard work keeping everything running, especially when it rains and the street gets muddy. We focus on the lessons and making sure the students are actually learning something useful. There’s always a bit of dust from the chalk and the old books, but that’s just how it is here. We aren't trying to be the most modern place, just a decent school where the local kids can come and study every day. The gate needs oiling because it groans every time it's opened, but we'll get to it.