In connection with the celebrations, the
HEO invites contributions from public-spirited persons of
eminence towards the establishment of a corpus for the following
broad objectives:
1) To establish and run a Centre for Value Education:
Over the past few years, the system of education in India
has focused more on information content in the syllabus and
less on inculcation of values and building of character. The
impact is being felt all around, in the form of declining
values and standards.
The Centre for Value Education is an attempt to revive the
system of value-based education and to integrate building
of character with academic learning. Given the constraints
of a demanding syllabus and the prevailing scheme of examinations,
this integration is best achieved by a Centre dedicated to
this purpose, with trained instructors interacting with students
on a regular basis, both within and outside the classroom.
The proposed Centre will have its own instructors, whose
focus will be on imparting value education to students of
all classes. Regular academic instruction will continue to
be handled by the teachers of the School.
2) To establish and run a Centre for Knowledge Management;
The present age has been hailed as the Age of Information.
Coupled with the ever - increasing information content in
the regular curriculum, there has been an explosion of knowledge
arising out of access to millions of data sources through
the internet. The sheer magnitude of what is available leaves
the student bewildered and confused.
On the other hand, teachers of the School could benefit greatly
from a system of knowledge management devoted to sharing of
experiences and insights, solving of problems, on the job
learning and analysis.
The Centre for Knowledge Management seeks to accumulate,
categorise and channelise what is available, to guide the
student through this maze to whatever is best suited to his
aptitudes, and to help the teacher give his best to the student
under his care.
3) To establish and run a Centre for Human Capital;
We recognise the fact that India's greatest asset is its teeming
millions. What is needed is the evolution of a comprehensive
system of identification and appraisal of talent and skills
at a young age, the fostering of such skills and practical
application of skills for the betterment of the individual
and the community.
The Centre for Human Capital will evaluate each student,
identify latent and patent skills by scientific means, provide
opportunities for, and assistance in, nurturing those skills
and finally identify avenues for useful application of those
skills.
4) To set up in the School a permanent Museum of
Indian / Tamil culture;
An unintended consequence of the heavy curriculum in schools
has been the lessening of exposure to local culture, the arts,
mythology, ancient and medieval history. The Museum is intended
to spur the interest of the students in these areas and to
bring home to them the richness and diversity of Indian and
Tamil culture and lore. The Museum will feature exhibits,
charts, articles, photographs and will encourage participation
by, and contributions from, students. Visits to places of
interest, lectures on topics of relevance will also form part
of the activities of the Museum.
5) Preservation of the HHSS heritage building;
The stone plaque declares that the school building, the magnificent
red-brick edifice designed by Henry Irwin and constructed
by Namberumal Chetty, was opened in 1897. The School is housed
in this heritage building even today. While the educational
agency has been maintaining the building in a state of good
repair, the demands on its resources are bound to increase
with the passage of time. With many a landmark in Chennai
vanishing in the name of development and progress, it is imperative
that this building be preserved in all its glory for future
generations. Thousands of students have passed through its
portals, and it is up to us to ensure that thousands more
do so in the decades to come.
6) Creation of a Trust for aiding retired teachers
in need.
To those who have devoted their lives to the cause of education,
who have served the school and its students with sincerity
and devotion for the best part of their lives, who have chosen
the noble profession of teaching over other, probably more
lucrative alternatives, the School owes a duty - a duty to
provide for them in their hour of need. Of course, retired
teachers are granted a pension by the Government. But there
are times when they need a helping hand. This Trust seeks
to provide financial assistance, to whatever extent possible,
to retired teachers - be it for putting a child through college,
for a wedding, for providing shelter, for medical treatment
or for any other emergency.
Contributions to the HEO are eligible for tax benefits under
Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Payments may please
be made by Account Payee cheque or demand draft in the name
of "Hindu Educational Organisation", to the Secretary,
Hindu Educational Organisation, 88, Big Street, Triplicane,
Chennai 600 005. Names of persons contributing Rs 50,000/-
and above will be inscribed in a stone slab in a prominent
location on the school premises.
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