CHENNAI: On a trial basis, select state-run schools have rearranged the seating arrangement of students in a semi-circle format, following the recent orders by the Department of School Education.

Taking inspiration from the Malayalam film Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, the Kerala government first proposed to alter the seating arrangement of students in a semi-circle, abolishing the concept of ‘back benchers’.

Following suit, the Tamil Nadu School Education Department on Saturday announced that schools can try the seating arrangement in ‘Pa-shape’ (a Tamil alphabet), promoting the idea of ‘engagement begins with arrangement’.

An education department official said, “We have encouraged schools to follow the idea as per students’ strength and size of the classroom. This is not the mandate; school management can implement the concept as per feasibility.”

The seating arrangement has been proposed to ensure that every student can view the board and teacher comfortably, easy monitoring of students by teachers, and accommodate students with special needs, among others.

In addition, the education department officials claimed that this seating arrangement will gradually abolish the concept of backbenchers inside the classroom and also from the minds of the students.

“Every student will be in the front row, where every voice can be seen or heard, with learning becoming a conversation and not a lecture,” the department circular read