TN plans post-Covid measures to help students

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has announced a slew of programmes focusing on the quality of education, student welfare and holistic learning environment for the academic year 2022-23, said School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in a press note on Monday.

The education department in the press note said that the department has planned several measures considering the physical and mental health impacts caused by COVID-19, the gap in students learning, and teaching.

The new initiative includes a monthly parent-teacher-student meeting in coordinaton with the School Management Committee (SMC). Training for students in cyber security and ethical hacking for which a state-level hackathon tournament will be held annually. Better implementation of already existing committees such as literature and ecology among others.

Further on, the curriculum will also concentrate on arts such as music, drama, poetry, storytelling, puppetry, folk art, painting, acrobatics, and dance at school, regional, district and state levels. This is done to emphasise the nuances of sports and literature to the fullest potential of each student, added the press note.

At the beginning of the upcoming academic year, awareness programmes on mental health, prevention of violence against children and prevention of drug addiction will be conducted for students in government and government-aided schools.

Additionally, school-wise vegetable gardens will be set up to encourage students in the process learning. The fruits and vegetables grown will be used for preparing mid-day meals, added the press note.

Other programmes include State level chess tournaments, scouting camps to improve leadership skills and publishing a magazine with articles written by students and teachers from the coming year.

It also stated that a new programme called Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) will soon be introduced for the students. Psychiatric counseling will be provided for students by experts on the recommendation of the school principal, the press note said.

Rally to boost enrolment rate in govt schools in Tiruchy

In order to improve the enrolment rate in government schools, an admission rally was held in Tiruchy on Monday and the organisers were upbeat over the response.

Around 100 students and teachers from Corporation High School in Senthaneerpuram in Tiruchy (Ward no 35) organised a rally for enrolment. According to headmaster T Thiyagarajan, the school has a good infrastructure and has been achieving cent per cent results in class 10 for the past few years.

The rally, which was supported by Makkal Sakthi Iyakkam, was flagged off by the Council member Suresh and said that the civic administration would introduce several facilities in the school for students. The students carried placards detailing the facilities in the school during the rally which went around Senthaneerpuram, and distributed pamphlets to the public. “We have planned to make an auto rickshaw annuoncement in and around the ward in an effort to double the admission rate this year. Post pandemic, admission to our school was phenomenal and we planned to boost enrolment this year than the previous year”, said Thiyagarajan.

Announcement on summer vacation soon, says Minister

As summer is intensifying and making life difficult for people, especially for students, Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Monday said the state government would soon make an announcement on summer vacation.

After worshipping at Tiruchendur temple in Thoothukudi district, the Minister said since classes were not conducted owing to the lockdown as part of pandemic restrictions, teachers had to rush with the syllabus and on the other hand, the levels of mental stress among students also increased significantly.

Pointing out the conflicts between students and teachers were on the rise, he expressed concern over the unruly behavior of students, who clashed with fellow students over wearing wrist bands marked with communal strife, threatening teachers inside the classroom and traveling on footboard in some places.

Poyyamozhi while insisting that students to concentrate only on studies as per wishes of their parents and Chief Minister MK Stalin, said that teachers would be trained on how to handle such unruly students and at the same time, such students would also be counselled in better and effective way to change their behaviour.