In a first, teachers to be given in-service training

During the debate on the grants for his department, Minister for School Education KA Sengottaiyan said training modules have been prepared in various fields including child psychology, student-teacher relationship, specific learning disability and remedy, leveraging ICT in education, continuous and comprehensive evaluation and to create the school environment safe for adolescence.

Teachers will also be taught about the effect of punishments on students and the need to avoid them in schools. In addition, they will also be trained in the new methodology for preparing and evaluating students for competitive examinations.

The new training initiative will help in their continuous professional development, the minister said, adding that the in-service training would also be given to government teachers across the State at primary and upper primary level.

Accordingly, SCERT will organise teacher development initiatives including scouting of innovations and video documentation of the best practices of teachers.

Bio-metric attendance in government schools

Following the implementation of a bio-metric system for attendance in government schools in Perambalur district on a trial basis, the State government has decided to introduce the facility in rest of the districts at a cost of Rs 9 crore. Education Department sources said the decision was taken after authorities received complaints about teachers especially in rural area marking proxy attendance.

Meanwhile, Sengottaiyan said the state-owned Arasu Cable TV Corporation will telecast videos based on the school curriculum. “The video will initially be telecast for one hour and depending on the requirement, the duration will be increased,” he stated.

Libraries will be established in all government schools to cultivate reading habit in students, the minister added.

School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan informed the Assembly that his department would take steps to start lower kindergarten (LKG) and upper kindergarten (UKG) classes in State-run schools.

The announcement came in response to a request from AIADMK legislator S Semmalai, who wanted the school education system to be strengthened.

Sengottaiyan said the proposal to introduce Kindergarten in government-run institutions is being considered by the State.

“Inputs and feedback on the proposal have been obtained from the officials of Education and the Social Welfare departments. Details such as inter-department transfers and re-designations, appointment of teachers, and switching to English medium of instruction would be discussed with the Chief Minister. Kindergarten educational institutions with English medium of instruction would be opened soon,” the Minister said.

Semmalai also expressed his reservations over reports relating to the State government’s plan to close schools which has a poor student strength.

However, the Minister said the State government does not have any such proposal.

The government has given time for the teachers to improve the admission numbers till September this year. Various measures are in place to improve the admission figures in all the State-run schools, Sengottaiyan added.

Students studying in classes from eight to twelve will get opportunity to visit foreign countries on an education tour. School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan said 6,700 students across the State had an opportunity to visit Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram recently. Stating that the government is taking steps to send students to foreign countries, he said that each team. The State government has signed an agreement with Finland to send 50 students for an education trip, he added.

The State government has decided to give a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to the families of students who are killed in road accidents. Stating that this scheme has been implemented for the first time in the country, the School Education Minister said compensation will be given within 48 hours of the mishap. While Rs 50,000 would be given for students who suffer serious injuries, Rs 25,000 would be provided to those with minor injuries.

Sengottaiyan also said prayers will made compulsory in all the schools. Accordingly, assembly prayers would be conducted on all school working days. The minister said steps were being taken to set up 3,000 smart classes in government schools at cost of Rs 60 crore. Each school will recieve Rs 60 lakh for establishing smart classes. Besides, the government is considering imparting training in robotic technology to government school students.

Minister for Higher Education KP Anbalagan said a total of 1,321 new courses have been introduced in government arts and science colleges in Tamil Nadu. Likewise, as many as 89 new courses were introduced in university-affiliated colleges in the State. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher studies has also increased. The minister said the pupil teacher ratio is also higher than the national level.