Media Release
Calicut, June 9: GVHSS for Girls, Nadakkavu has been recognized by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) for their commitment to protecting the environment and keeping their school clean.
The school was presented with the 1st prize by Kerala’s Health and Social Welfare Minister, K K Shylaja, at an awards ceremony that took place at Kanakakunnu Palace, Thiruvananthapuram earlier this week. The prize included an award, a plaque and a Rs 1 lac cash prize, which will be used to continue to improve and enhance the school. The award function began with a message by the Kerala education minister, C Raveendranath, followed by a keynote from K K Shylaja. Both guests highlighted the imbalances and challenges that exist today in our natural environment, as a result of pollution, and other human activities, and noted the need for individuals to take responsibility for protecting their surroundings.
The school submitted its application to the PCB’s State Pollution Control Awards 2016, under the ‘Haritha Vidhyalaya’ (green school) category, focusing on the school’s green spaces, the upkeep of the school and the involvement of the Faizal & Shabana Foundation to ensure the school’s environment is maintained to the highest standards.
GVHSS is a 120-year old all-girls government school at the Kozhikode municipal corporation in Kerala, which now ranks among the top four government day schools across India, according to the Education World India School Rankings. In 2013, the Faizal & Shabana Foundation joined hands with local MLA A Pradeep Kumar to plan, fund and execute a project that transformed GVHSS, entirely using offsite construction technology methods to upgrade the built environment. The school has a sprawling 3.4 acre campus that is home to 2,400 students and over 100 staff members.
The makeover of the Nadakkavu school was undertaken as part of the PRISM (promoting regional schools to international standards through multiple interventions) initiative, which is championed by the Faizal & Shabana Foundation. The foundation worked closely with the Social Service Group (SSG) of IIM-Kozhikode to develop and fine-tune the concept of PRISM. IIM Kozhikode has also collaborated with the foundation to deliver practical and focused training to the school faculty on motivation and leadership with a view to increase teacher-student engagement.
Speaking about the school’s award, Dr Joseph Sebastian, head of the Faizal & Shabana Foundation said, “We are extremely grateful to the Kerala State Pollution Control Board for recognizing the efforts of the GVHSS staff and students. Every member of the community here respects and appreciates the school’s environment and therefore takes great pride in keeping the campus clean and protected.”
About Faizal & Shabana Foundation (www.faizalshabana.org):
The Faizal & Shabana Foundation was established in 2007 in India as a charitable arm of KEF Holdings by Faizal E Kottikollon and his wife Shabana Faizal. The foundation works closely with other stakeholders in government, business and community to promote initiatives that benefit the community.
The foundation’s social interventions relate to women, children and youth. Thematically, education, housing, healthcare and employment are the foundation’s key focus areas.