Objectives
The mission of APJ Abdul Kalam Residential School is to impart and instill the academic knowledge along with the values of self-sufficiency, humanity, social responsibility and sustainability among the tribal children. The school is intended for children of the primitive tribal sect i.e Kurumba whose absence may let the admission of children from other tribal communities. The objectives are set to achieve within a gradual span of their study from standard first to twelve. The school curriculum will follow Kerala State Board Syllabus taught by qualified tribal teachers who are able to speak tribal language. Cocurricular subjects of learning will be tribal folk arts including their dance forms, vocal and instrument music and drama, taught by the indigent masters from their own community. Athletics and sports will be given prior importance as tribal children have better physic especially with powerful shoulder bones which shall be developed through appropriate training and guidance.
The spacious school campus and compound will be utilized to do traditional cultivation, local tribal festivals and celebrations in a timely manner to let the students grow without distancing from their own culture. A botanical garden in housing 1500 variety of plants are grown within the school compound which will be subsequently added with 2500 herbal plants known to tribal community in order to introduce to the students and retain their knowledge about the traditional tribal treatment methods. Environmental Awareness will be primarily taught among the students to inculcate the values of conserving nature and the ecosystem. Western parts of Attappadi suffer severe water scarcity and water literacy is implemented to teach the students as responsibility. The school is well equipped with RO Plant, a water storage dam of 5 lakh ltrs capacity and water recycling system.
To instill reading habit from an early age among the students, a vast library is designed to in-house one lakh books. Energy efficiency is observed through installing solar light and water heaters system throughout the campus. Students are facilitated for ample playground with fun and entertainment options. Students will be provided with special training in Abacus, Drawing, Dance, Music and Martial arts. Qualified resource pool is ensured to train the students in curricular and co-curricular learning. Professionals from tribal community will be appointed to avoid estrangement feeling of students within the campus. Moral and family values will be nurtured by observing monthly get together and gathering of families in the school. Rehabilitation and uplift of the students’ families is targeted by sourcing out the school related employment opportunities [vegetable cultivation, poultry farming]. An insightful teaching-learning process is targeted apart from the formal curriculum by directly introducing them the achievers from their own community in different fields on monthly once session basis.