100-day learning challenge in TN schools to be completed in April
Implemented in Dec 2024 to improve reading and learning skills of primary class students in government schools
Representative Image (File)
CHENNAI: The 100-day open challenge, intended to improve the reading and learning skills of primary class students, will conclude by the second week of April. In the first phase, the challenge was implemented in 4,552 government and government aided primary schools in Tamil Nadu.
The director of primary schools, PA Naresh, had stated that the challenge would conclude mostly around the first or second week of April with the Minister of School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi likely to inspect.
The 100-day challenge to improve reading and learning skills of primary class students began in December 2024 for three subjects – Tamil, English and Mathematics. This initiative was undertaken in addition to other programmes implemented in schools to improve the learning and teaching activities.
However, such a challenge in primary schools began when K Valarmati, a school head of T Pudur Panchayat Union Primary School, invited the education minister in November 2024 to interact with her school children and inspect their learning abilities. Taking to a social media site, the teacher wrote, “There are 33 students studying in our school, all of whom can read well in Tamil and English and have basic skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in Maths. I request the minister to visit our children to learn about their progress.”
Following which, the minister visited the school and noted that all students were relatively able to read Tamil and English fluently. Also, the minister witnessed students performing well in arithmetic as well, thus directing all schools to follow suit and pick up the challenge.
Accordingly, the education department listed 4,552 schools in November 2024 to follow the challenge from December. The challenge involved teaching basic mathematical skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in 100 days.
Speaking to DT Next, an education department official said, “Such a challenge has motivated students and teachers of the department. The students had been proactive and keen on learning the concepts as it was posed as a challenge.”
The District Education Officers (elementary education) have been directed to conduct a meeting with school heads for students to achieve the learning and arithmetic skills by the end of the said challenge.
