CHENNAI: On Thursday night, 20 students who have bagged top positions in different forum activities in government schools were taken on a five-day educational tour to Hong Kong along with a teacher, a Chief Education Officer (CEO), and school education minister, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, competitions were held in different forum activities at both school and district levels for students of classes 6 to 9 studying in government middle, high and higher secondary schools. These competitions were held in February.

These 20 students, who bagged prizes, were announced to be taken on an educational tour abroad to Hong Kong.

During the assembly session in 2022, minister Poyyamozhi stated that students who excel in academics and co-curricular activities at the school level forum activities such as book reading, fine arts, sports and science will be taken on educational tours abroad.

As per the circular from the department, 25 students were selected as winners in each forum in forum competitions held at district and state levels. “The education department is taking the students on educational tours abroad to provide them additional exposure; for the same, the government has allotted Rs 3 crore. So far, the winners have been taken to Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and South Korea,” the circular stated.

The circular added that the students gained extensive experience and knowledge from their travels on these trips.

So far, from different forums, 142 students have been taken abroad, per the department data. From the literary forum, 25 students were taken to Singapore, 74 students were taken to South Korea from the quiz forum, rainbow forum and children’s film forum, 21 students went to Malaysia from the art forum, and 22 students who excelled in sports were taken to Japan.