Education

The Christian Missionaries, as elsewhere in India, were the pioneers of English Education  in the erstwhile Travancore State and more particularly in the then South – Travancore, the area that presently forms the Kanyakumari District.  The Portuguese and the Dutch who came to the erstwhile Travancore State even prior to the British, were the Roman Catholics and they did little towards the cause of Education .  But, the Protestant Missionaries who arrived later were the first to introduce English Education in the District, which was part and parcel of the then Travancore State. The founder of the English School in the erstwhile Travancore State was Rev. William Tobias RingleTaube a native of Prussia and a man of great force and character.  He came to the State in 1806 and then onwards, he devoted his whole energy to evangelistic work and wherever he went, he carried with him the mission of English education.  He was incessantly preaching and teaching and he established many schools for poor children, Christians as well as non-Christians.  

The progress of education through his instrumentality may be inferred from his reply to a query from Col. Munro, the Dewan Resident of Travancore in 1813.  He wrote that,             

“There were six schools for the laity; the instructions that are given, consist in lessons of reading, writing, arithmetic and to Christian children the catechism and reading the New Testament or religious books.  The natives were not disposed to send their children to school.  Books were supplied presented from the Missionaries at Tranquebar but not in sufficient number”.  RingleTaube’s noble efforts in the spread of education was aided through the recommendation of the Resident Col. Munro, by a grant of land at a nominal rent made by Rani Laxmi Bai.  Rev. Ringle Taub bid farewell to the little church, Mylaudy of south Travancore in January 1816 and left this country.   During the short period of ten years (1806 to 1816), he laid the foundation not only for the growth of the  Christianity, but alas for the popular education in the area.

The efforts of the Government        

As it has been mentioned earlier, till the Government of the then Travancore Native State took over the direction and control of the education system, private teachers called Asans (Mrhd;) conducted schools in villages and imparted such instruction required for day-to-day life of the ordinary people particularly rural folk.    The Government in those days took no direct part in the field of education.  The remuneration of teachers was not paid, out of the State’s coffers but, was contributed by the villagers themselves voluntarily.  The system though devoid of State control worked satisfactorily and met the requirements of the people until individualistic tendencies has begun to manifest themselves and undermine corporate action on which ancient village organization was passed.

Such was the condition of the society and education in the native state of Travancore in the beginning of the 19^th Century.  Educational standard had deteriorated and was almost completely neglected in the northern parts of the State (Since in the southern part, the present district of Kanyakumari, the pioneer work in education was begun by the Christian missionaries).

After Merger : 

When the district of Kanyakumari was formed and added to the then Madras state in 1956,  the  Education Department of the State was headed by the Director of Public Instructions.   He was assisted by subordinate officers and necessary complementary staff in his office at the State level.  Besides, the posts  of the Divisional Inspectors at Divisional level, the District Educational Officers at the education district level and the Inspectresses of Girls School at the Circle level were created under the administrative and disciplinary control of the Director of Public Instruction.  The entire State was divided into the two Divisional having head quarters at Madurai and Coimbatore.  Each division was under the control of a Divisional Inspector.  When Kanyakumari District was formed, it was included under the control of the Divisional Inspector, Madurai, who was having jurisdiction over the districts of Madras, Chengalpattu, South Arcot, Thanjavur, Madurai, Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli.  The entire Kanyakumari District was formed as one education district and the post of District Educational Officer for the district was also created.  Including the District Education Officers at Kanyakumari district, there were 15 District Educational Officers for the whole State.  Consequent on the reorganisation of States 13 senior posts were transferred from Travancore-Cochin State to Madras State of which 4 posts came under Subordinate Educational Service.           

For School Education at the district level, there is the Chief Educational Officer at Nageroil.  He is assisted by three District Educational Officers at Nagercoil, Thuckalay and Kuzhithurai and the Inspectress of Girls schools at Nagercoil.  The District Educational Officers and Inspectress of Girls Schools have direct control over the High and Higher Secondary Schools, while for the Inspection of middle and primary schools there are Deputy Inspectors of Schools at Range level.  In the district, there are nine such Ranges and each of them is having one Deputy Inspector of Schools.  The Range Deputy Inspectors are having their headquarters at Nagercoil, Suchindrum, Rajakkamangalam, Thuckalai, Colachel, Thiruvattar, Kuzhithurai, Munchirai and Karungal.

                    COLLEGES FOR GENERAL EDUCATION,  STUDENTS AND TEACHERS