Smart classrooms, addl model schools to come up in TN: Poyyamozhi

CHENNAI: As it was done for higher secondary schools, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to establish high-tech labs in high and middle schools also for Rs 157 crore.

While announcing several welfare measures for his department, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi told the House that the high-tech lab will be established in as many as 2,996 middle schools and a total of 540 high schools for Rs 175 crore.

The minister also announced that model schools will be established in another 13 districts at Rs 250 crore and in future, the government would take steps to establish at least one model school in each district of the State.

Pointing out that the existing model schools in ten districts were functioning for Class 12 students from October 2021, the minister said in 2022-2023 the model school programme was extended to an additional 15 districts across the State at Rs 125 crore.

"To achieve the desired outcome, model school students and their parents are being provided an involved career guidance programme to develop a deeper awareness of higher education and career opportunities based on their abilities," the minister said.

Similarly, the minister said that during the second phase, smart classrooms will be established in 7,500 primary schools for Rs 150 crore.

The minister said to facilitate the students in the schools to participate in national and international level sports, a sports school of excellence will be established in each district at Rs 9 crore.

"A new scheme titled 'Tamizh Mozhi Karpom' (We will learn the Tamil language) will be implemented for the labourers from other states, who are employed here," he said.

He said the government would spend Rs 25 lakh to provide basic literacy to as many as 1,249 illiterate inmates in various prisons.

The minister said that all the government schools will adopt awareness week throughout the year for the students and teachers to identify hateful news and misinformation in social and other media. He also announced that the government would develop digital textbooks for the students, who were suffering from less vision.