Chellanam
First school
Chellanam St.George school by starting a school in 1917 at Chellanam, the late Kannu Kaipari laid the foundation for school education in that village. Till then the education of the children was conducted in single tutor institutions called 'Kalari'. Each caste had its own 'Kalari'. The tutors were paid in kind by the parents. So much so, the children of the scheduled caste (Pulayas) had no means for education. St. George school imparted free education to all. The school started by the late Kannu Kaipariwas open to all, irrespective of caste or creed.
The school started functioning in the out-house of Kannu Kaipari. Subsequently a beautiful school building was constructed. It was inaugurated in February 1921 by the then Prince of Cochin State, the late Kerala Varma Thampuran who was the head of Department of Oriental Languages, in Maharajas College, Ernakulam. In 1922, when the Government of Cochin recognised it as an Aided school, P.K. Arulappan, the eldest son of Kaippari, was made the first Manager of the school.
|