Chennai corporation schools get 1 lakh students after a decade

CHENNAI: For the first time since the 2010-11 academic year, enrolment in schools run by Greater Chennai Corporation has breached the one-lakh mark.
In the current academic year (2021-22), 1.01 lakh students are enrolled in the 281 schools run by the civic body.

Enrolment had dropped in GCC schools from 1 lakh in 2010-11 to 83, 100 in 2019-20. Last year,it increased slightly, to around 90,000.
Corporation officials cited jobs and income lost due to Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns as the main reason for rise in admissions. “Many parents have not been able to pay school fees as they have lost their income. They have admitted their children to GCC schools,” an official said.
Statistics show that of the 27,000 students who enrolled newly this year,19,000 were from other schools such as private matriculation, CBSE and government-aided schools. The rest were those who entered new school levels — from primary to middle to high school to higher secondary — from within GCC school system, the official said.
The corporation has allowed students till Class VIII to enroll even if he/she does not have a transfer certificate. This is because many private schools don’t issue TCs if parents don’t pay fees. “There won’t be an issue till Class VIII, but for Classes IX-XII, TC is a must. We are trying to work out an alternative for such students,” the official said.
This shift to GCC schools also indicates that people trust the facilities and quality of teaching, the senior official said. “We are constantly upgrading toilets and drinking water facilities in our schools. Teachers are also better qualified than in other schools,” the official said. Another official said the challenge the headmasters face now was to retain students.