As the number of new admissions in the state-run schools is expected to go up two-fold compared to previous years, the state is planning to increase English medium classes by having more sections. The situation has risen as most of the students have shifted from private schools due to their parent’s financial constraints amid lockdown during COVID-19 second wave.
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Chennai:
Admissions to government and government-aided schools for various standards including Class 11 have resumed from June 14 on a bright note with parents, who incurred financial loss due to lockdown, had evinced interest to enroll their children in the state-run institutions.
As most of the children, who had pursued English medium in private schools and have enrolled in state-run institutions, they preferred English medium, said School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, who asserted that the government is taking steps to increase the sections under English medium of instruction according to the requirement.
A senior official from the School Education Department pointed out that in most of the government middle schools, there would be one English medium class and in high schools, it would maximum of two, while in higher secondary level, it would be about between three and five depending on the student’s admissions every academic year.
Stating that last year during the COVID-19 first wave, the additional new admissions in government and government-aided schools was about 2.8 lakh, the official said and claimed that this year it is expected to increase between four to five lakh.
“Of the total new admissions, at least one lakh additional students are expected to be enrolled in Class 11 itself,” he said adding “the authorities have asked the district education officers to collect data of higher secondary admissions and send it to the Directorate of School Education so that the English medium classes would be increased as per requirement.”
Pointing out in addition to the plan for increasing the English medium of instruction, the infrastructure, including construction of additional classrooms and recruiting teachers will also be done in a short period so that studies of the students would not be affected. “Science and computer lab facilities will also be enhanced,” he added.
Claiming that there were complaints that students, who join government schools, were finding it difficult to get their transfer certificate from their previous private schools, the official said that a warning circular has been issued to all the self-financing institutions that action would be taken if they refuse or delay issuing transfer certificates.
At present, there are about 46,000 government and government-aided schools functioning across the state, which caters to more than 67 lakh students.
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