By Mukesh 
After many years, students of the Forest Government Higher Secondary School in Pudur Nadu, a small tribal village in Jawadhu Hills of Tirupattur district, secured 98 % pass percentage in 2026 Plus Two examinations.
Among the three forest higher secondary schools in Tamil Nadu, which are run by the Forest Department under the Tribal Welfare Fund since 1950, Pudur Nadu school was the top scorer in the Class XII examinations in terms of total pass percentage. The other two forest schools in Jamunamarathur (Tiruvannamalai) and Nellivasal (Tirupattur) got 97% and 93% respectively.
Of the total 91 students, 89 students, including 38 girls, have passed the examinations. More than 70 per cent of them got first-class marks in the Board examinations. The school has improved its total pass percentage this year, as against 95% (2025) and 92% (2024) in the previous years’ examinations.
Students come from 18 remote tribal hamlets in the hills. “Continuous support by teachers, forest and education officials helped students study well and pass out successfully. As there is no government college in the hills, our children have to go to Jolarpet or Krishnagiri for higher studies,” B. Saddaiyan, a parent.
Collector K. Sivasoundaravalli, District Forest Officer (DFO) M. Mahendran, and Chief Educational Officer (CEO) K. Munisubburayan appreciated the efforts of the school’s students and teachers. Built in 1919, the school is the oldest forest higher secondary school in Tamil Nadu, followed by Jamanamarathor in Tiruvannamalai and Nellivasal (Tirupattur), built in 1951 and 1952, respectively.
. Currently, the school has a total of 463 students, including 218 girls. “Students were punctual in attending classes regularly. Among the three forest schools, Pudur Nadu school has the topper with a total of 470 marks. Support of parents, teachers, forest officials led by forest ranger K.R. Cholarajan also contributed to the success,” said headmaster R. Kumaran.
Pudur Nadu village comprises 32 tribal hamlets, including Puliyur, Melur, Thagarakuppam, Perumpalli, Chinnavattam, and Bellur with more than 30,000 voters. Education officials said it was not an easy achievement for these tribal students in Pudur Nadu, as students from remote hamlets in the hills walk several kilometres to reach school, as buses do not ply due to the steep terrain.
Classes for subjects like commerce and physics were taken jointly at Pudur Nadu school, as the Forest school in Nellivasal, 14 km away, does not have adequate teachers.
At present, except one forest school in Top Slip (Pollachi), 17 other schools are located in Jawadhu Hills covering Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, and Tirupattur. Among them, Tiruvannamalai has the highest number of schools (11), followed by Tirupattur (7).