No plans to reduce Tamil Nadu school syllabus further despite academic loss due to rains

After a gap of about 18 months, schools in Tamil Nadu were opened for the students studying from Class 1 to Class 12 between September and November.

However, holidays were declared following Diwali immediately after schools were reopened for the students from Class 1 to Class 8 on November 1. Adding to the woes, schools were further forced to stay shut following heavy rains and floods.

With already syllabus being reduced between 30% to 50%, there were requests from academicians to further decrease the curriculum due to further academic loss.

However, a senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next on Monday that at present, there were no plans to reduce the syllabus further for the students.

Justifying the decision for not truncating the syllabus further, he pointed out that students of each standard should have specific knowledge of the subjects to qualify for promotion to the next class.

"We have already reduced the syllabus to the maximum level, which would make the students qualify for the next standard," he said adding further truncation of the curriculum will not solve the purpose of promoting the students to the next level.

The official pointed out that most of the government school students, who could not cover even the reduced syllabus last year, were promoted to the next standard. "Therefore, there is no point in further reducing the syllabus this year," he added.

"The academic loss due to rains will be compensated by allowing the schools to work six days a week as it was done for the college students," he said adding that schools will also be asked to conduct special classes especially for high school students as per local requirements to cover the portion before the board exams, which would be held this year.

PB Prince Gajendra Babu General Secretary, State Platform for Common School System - Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN) said it was definetly not necessary to reduce the syllabus as it would affect the students. "Instead, the government could reschedule the academic activities and postpone the exams so that students get adequate education'" he added.