'Pa' shaped seating in schools | Look for innovative yet feasible options as TN govt yet to fix tree shade classes: Tamilisai

CHENNAI: Senior BJP leader and former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday criticised the Directorate of School Education, stating that the department, under Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, lacks originality in policy formulation.

"In some rural schools, classes are still held under trees due to a lack of infrastructure. These gaps must be addressed first," Tamilisai said.

"The Education Department has once again shown a lack of innovation. The recently introduced 'water bell' initiative was implemented two years ago in Puducherry during my tenure as Lieutenant Governor. While I welcome its adoption as a student-friendly move, replicating policies without scientific evaluation raises concerns," she said in a statement.

Tamilisai took strong exception to the proposed implementation of the "Pa" shaped classroom seating arrangement, reportedly inspired by Kerala.

"This arrangement, introduced without a proper scientific study or consideration of classroom logistics, could lead to health issues among students such as lateral eye strain and neck pain due to prolonged sideward posture," she warned.

Criticising the rationale that the new layout would help backbenchers, she suggested that instead, classrooms could adopt a gallery-style seating arrangement—common in institutions like Madras Medical College—where every student has a clear view of the teacher and the blackboard.

"Blackboards operated on pulleys ensured visibility even to the last row," she recalled.

She also proposed rotating seating plans to avoid confining students to fixed spots and advocated for elevated teacher platforms to enhance classroom engagement.