Chennai Corporation schools to soon accept online applications

 A Chennai Corporation official said that several drives and campaigns were planned to be conducted during the summer holiday to attract more students. "We had to drop all the plans due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown," the official added.

 The civic body is developing a website exclusively for the education department to publicise the achievements of the Corporation schools and its students. The plan is to include the online application system in the website using which the applications could be sent.

 Meanwhile, the official clarified that the online facility would be an additional option for the parents, who wish to enrol their students before the schools are opened. "Our schools, including Saidapet girls schools and MH Road School, are most sought after by the parents and seats would usually be filled up immediately after opening the schools. Those who do not know the online procedures can still come to the schools in persons for admissions.

 The online system will start once the senior officials give sanction," the official explained. While the private schools would start filling seats even before the summer holidays are over, the Chennai Corporation schools, as well as the government schools, would start admitting new students only after the schools are reopened.

 The civic body had a target of achieving 1.20 lakh student strength this academic year and roped in NGOs to devise a strategy to increase the strength. As on now, around 85,000 students are studying in the Corporation schools.

 "Apart from persuading the parents by posting the achievements of the schools and activities, we will monitor the online classes using the new website.

 The civic body has as many as 281 schools in core city zones of which 38 are higher secondary schools and 32 are high schools. During the previous year, a student studied in the Corporation school had secured the fifth rank in the Anna University engineering admission rankings.