Teachers’ Day 2026: In Chennai’s Kannagi Nagar, tuition centres are more than classrooms

Members of Vidiyal Sudar Trust providing free evening tuition classes for children at Kannagi Nagar in Chennai. | Photo Credit: Ravindran R Between the lanes of Kannagi Nagar stands a modest blue shed. Plain on the outside, a closer look reveals a lively classroom within. A blackboard occupies one side of the room, while plastic chairs and toys are scattered around the space. Soon, children of different age groups begin trickling in. Vimal Raj, their teacher and co-founder, Vidiyal Sudar Trust, welcomes the students for another day of lessons.“I provide free tuition classes to children in the neighbourhood because I know their value. I struggled with my studies when I was young and couldn’t afford to attend tuition centres for extra classes. My own experiences inspired me to start this initiative,” says Vimal Raj.“Right now, there are more than 25 tuition centres providing free lessons in Kannagi Nagar, and they have significantly improved the quality of education for students in the neighbourhood,” he adds.For the children, these tuition centres are more than a place to learn their lessons. It often doubles up as a space to meet friends and hang out. “Earlier, we were worried about children being influneced by bad habits after school hours while roaming around. That has reduced now. Students have started coming to tuition centres even on Sundays to meet their friends and play. It is a positive change we have observed,” says S Ashamalini, co-founder, Vidiyal Sudar Trust. Students gather after school to spend their evenings at Vidiyal Sudar Trust, learning and playing together. | Photo Credit: Ravindran R Vimal believes that a teacher’s role in a students’ life is beyond textbooks and lessons. His involvement extends beyond the classroom. Whenever a student drops out from school, Vimal steps in to understand the situation and speaks to the parents and, in some cases, works with the police to ensure that children return to school. He has personally intervened in several cases and helped children get readmitted.Kannagi Nagar, he says, has changed considerably over the years, with several NGOs providing free tuition classes in the neighbourhood. While education remains a priority, sports is another area receiving attention. Tuition centres also offer free classes in silambam, yoga and kabaddi. Children from the neighbourhood have already represented the country at the national level in sports such as kabaddi. Another organisation in Kannagi Nagar working to keep students in school by providing free lessons is Turning Point. What started with 18 students has now grown to around 500 students across four centres in two decades, supported by 30 to 40 volunteers.“Our motto is that no student should drop out because of family struggles or lack of access to education. We also encourage students to take part in extracurricular activities,” says Praveen Kumar S, chief coordinator, Turning Point.According to Praveen, one of the challenges the centres currently face is the changing attitude towards education among students. “Now, some ask, ‘Why education?’ Many of them are drawn to gig and delivery jobs because of what they see on social media. They watch reels and start adapting that lifestyle. We try to create awareness and help them understand the importance of education,” he says.Not every child in Kannagi Nagar continues to attend school, with family problems and negative peer influence among the reasons for students dropping out. Most of the students are first generation learners in their family.Vimal says, as a teacher, he has dreams for his students, “My dream is to see children from Kannagi Nagar reach higher positions in Government service. At the same time, I want them to excel in sports and bring recognition to the neighbourhood.” Published - September 03, 2026 08:30 am IST