Palagolia Vidyalaya School opened in May 2011
The New School!
Palagolia Community Profile
The village of Palagolla is located in the hill country of the Nuwara Eliya district, about 180 kilometers from the city of Colombo, from which it takes about 51⁄2 hours to reach by car. Travel to this region is limited due to narrow roads that are in poor condition, and can be very windy and bumpy. Because of the geography, however, these roads offer incredible views of the area.
The Palagolla Vidyalaya school is located in the village of Palagolla in the Nuwara Eliya District. Nuwara Eliya District is famous for tea production and during colonial times, the town of Nuwara Eliya served as a gathering place for social events of English tea planters. The area is also famous for cultivating vegetables as well as flowers grown for commercial purposes. Adam’s Peak, famous as the highest mountain in Sri Lanka, is also found in Nuwara Eliya District, making the town a tourist attraction for both locals and people from overseas.
The residents of Palagolla are very low-income, as they are dependent on seasonal rice-paddy cultivation or daily labor for their livelihood. At times, it is difficult for them to have any income at all. Electricity is available for most of the village, but drinking water must be collected from common water holes.
The Palagolla Vidyalaya school is located in the village of Palagolla in the Nuwara Eliya District. Nuwara Eliya District is famous for tea production and during colonial times, the town of Nuwara Eliya served as a gathering place for social events of English tea planters. The area is also famous for cultivating vegetables as well as flowers grown for commercial purposes. Adam’s Peak, famous as the highest mountain in Sri Lanka, is also found in Nuwara Eliya District, making the town a tourist attraction for both locals and people from overseas.
The residents of Palagolla are very low-income, as they are dependent on seasonal rice-paddy cultivation or daily labor for their livelihood. At times, it is difficult for them to have any income at all. Electricity is available for most of the village, but drinking water must be collected from common water holes.
Palagolia School Project
The completed School Room is a spacious, 1500-square-foot building with a lot of light and ventilation. The learning space is 1200 square feet and the corridor space is 300 square feet. This is a single-story building with three classrooms (with built-in chalkboards) and a storage room. Room to Read provided 60 desks and 120 chairs for the children and 3 tables and 3 chairs for the teachers. The new School Room is painted to match the existing buildings at this school. It is an attractive addition to this community that draws a lot of positive attention.
Early Construction
The children in this school have been facing many difficulties due to lack of sufficient facilities. Every year two primary classes had to be taught in the temporary shed built by the community. The temporary shed classrooms were not suitable for primary children. We had made requests to the government officials and local politicians on many occasions. But the requests were not fulfilled. Since Room to Read's Reading Room activities were conducted, staff members there witnessed our need. When a request was made through Department of Education, Room to Read agreed to help us. With the help, support, and guidance of Room to Read, we have been able to complete a building with modern facilities. We thank Room to Read and the donors for all the support and guidance given to us
- Ms.Leelaratne Menike. school principal