Students excel, but mood sober at Namakkal Super Schools

In Namakkal over half a dozen students scored more than 1,191 marks or more out of 1,200. But an uneasy calm prevailed at the Super Schools that used to celebrate their State ranks in a grand manner. 

The Director of a leading school said that the education department officials made it clear to them that they should not mention the names of the toppers, erect banners or even mention them in the school notice board. This being the case, students too were in no mood to celebrate, as they knew that the Board exam scores would do them no good. “I will celebrate when NEET exam scores are published on June 8,” says a student, who scored 1,089 marks. 

“The State toppers would rush for celebrations. But the government’s announcement that state toppers should not be announced or recognised has upset those who had prepared well to score high marks. Coupled with NEET exam being made mandatory for pursuing medicine, excellence in board exams has taken a back seat,” director of Green Park Schools, SPN Saravanan told DT Next. 

Lack of recognition for State toppers is upsetting students as because they had managed to score high in the Board exams alongside preparations for NEET. “From October to December last year, we gave two hours coaching - an hour before and an hour after school - for NEET. After the Board exams, we gave them a crash course for NEET for 35 days,” the director of another super school said. 

These two factors also reflected with the number of ‘thank you’ calls received by teachers and directors of these private schools. “Stating that the school has produced State toppers eight times in the last 10 years, he felt that the change in scenario has left with only Commerce and Arts group students focused on scoring high marks.