Teachers from government and government-aided schools across the state will participate in a two-day training programme in Erode which will enable them to coach students to take up national-level competitive exams such as NEET and JEE.

Ten teachers from each district have been chosen to attend this programme and this includes two teachers each for Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. In all, 320 teachers will be attending the training programme. The programme will involve briefing teachers on the focus points for each subject. They will be given resource material to be used in their classes.

The School Education Department has already initiated online coaching in collaboration with Rajasthan-based ETOOS India at Chennai, Coimbatore and Erode.

“Students are also taking mock tests based on the NEET question paper pattern every Friday in their schools. This year, we want students to be able to access a range of materials. We want them to avail both online/offline coaching, and not just limit it to classes every weekend,” S. Kannappan, Director of School Education said.

While the weekend coaching classes conducted the last few years has begun in a limited number of centres in a few cities, the department is yet to kick start classes across the state.

“We are still in talks about whether to engage a private coaching centre to assist us with the coaching.

Weekly classes for the students across all districts will begin soon, said a senior official, adding that the two-day refresher course in Erode is the first step towards making it happen.