Chennai Corporation to spend less on skills development of school kids in next fiscal

CHENNAI: The GCC’s budget allocated Rs 5 cr for the upcoming financial year (2025-26) for improving and enhancing the skills of school students in education and sports, which is less than the allocation (Rs 5.36 cr) for this financial year.

‘Pooling of Resource Teachers’ will be set up zone-wise with teachers willing to work in schools, at an estimated cost of Rs 75 lakh.

These teachers will be selected from top-performing higher secondary schools, which is based on their performance in quarterly and half yearly exams. To improve the English language skills of students in classes 9-12 spoken English classes will be conducted by MEPSC-certified teachers.

A group of research teachers will be formed in each zone (for Rs 5 lakh) to train students to score marks in the public examination. Also, a globe will be provided to 2,300 classrooms at Rs 39.10 lakh to enable students of classes 6-12 understand geography.

As many as 167 electronic display boards at Rs 64.80 lakh will be installed in Corporation high and higher secondary schools. For kindergarten students, 414 classrooms will get an electronic board each (Rs 1.66 cr) that can play recorded classes, songs and short stories.

A training centre that teaches sewing, embroidery and computer science to girls and women for free will be installed in all 15 zones at Rs 50 lakh each. To engage school students in basketball, throw ball, football, badminton, kho-kho, kabaddi, long jump and high jump, Rs 95 lakh was allotted to procure, repair and maintain sports equipment.