Govt and aided schools see massive influx of students from CBSE institutions

Admissions to State-run schools resumed on June 15 with thousands of students from private schools enrolling. Many schools in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai have got requests beyond their intake capacity.

A senior official from the School Education Department said more than 2,500 students from CBSE schools have joined various government and government-aided schools across the State.

Adding to the official’s claim, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said, in the last four days, more than 1,500 CBSE students have enrolled in government schools. “This government is determined to improve the infrastructure to retain all students who have come from private schools and joined State-run schools,” he added.

Stating that the admissions to government schools would continue for another one week, he said, “more CBSE students are expected to get enrolled in government schools.”

The official pointed out that the increase in the number of students from private schools, who evinced interest in government schools, is mainly due to the new rule that producing Transfer Certificate (TC) during the admission was not made compulsory this year.

Claiming that new admissions to government and government-aided schools have crossed 2.8 lakh last year, he said, “this year the figure is expected to increase by four lakh.” He pointed out that a government school in Kundrathur, Kancheepuram, attracted about one thousand new students this year.

M Manokaran, a cab driver who transferred his son to a government school for CBSE, said, “it was not just the financial crisis that made me enrol my son in a government school but also I was told by the academicians that new State Board syllabus is on par with CBSE curriculum.” TN Teachers Association president PK Ilamaran said many government schools have already started to improve their infrastructure, including increasing the classrooms, to retain all students. “It is the efforts of the headmasters and teachers that brought many students from private schools,” he added.