New Thiran initiative to improve students’ proficiency: T.N. School Education Minister

Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. File
| Photo Credit: Akhila Easwaran

The School Education Department will implement an initiative, ‘Thiran’, to increase students’ proficiency in English, Tamil, and maths, Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said in the Assembly on Friday.

At a cost of ₹19 crore, students of Classes VI-VIII at government schools would be given coaching during school hours. The initiative would benefit 13 lakh students, he said. Thirteen new primary schools would be built, while four primary schools, 14 middle schools, and 20 high schools would be upgraded. The curriculum and the textbooks would be revised at a ₹7 crore.

Mr. Poyyamozhi said private school Tamil teachers and teachers of other boards would be trained in Tamil teaching methodologies at a cost of ₹4.9 lakh. The POCSO Act awareness training would be conducted for teachers and non-teaching staff members of private schools at a cost of ₹4.9 lakh, while skill development training would be conducted for more than 1.2 lakh teachers at a cost of ₹28 crore.

The School Education Minister urged the Union government to disburse the funds under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. “The State government is now bearing the cost, however the money allotted for us continues to be denied by the Centre,” Mr. Mahesh added.

Among the other announcements included life skills and value education modules to be introduced to all classes at Rs 26 lakh. Play equipment and training to children with disabilities would be given to government schools and the teachers would also be trained at Rs 4 crore. Vocational skills such as jewelry making, tailoring among others will be imparted to the learners in adult literacy centres to improve their earning capacity with the coordination of community participation.

Skill training will be provided to 12,000 vocational stream students in government higher secondary schools through government Industrial Training Institutes and State skill centre at Rs. 13 crores, the Minister announced.

Initiatives will be taken such as reading challenge, storytelling sessions to build reading proficiency of students while a summer camp, Kalaisirpi, for winners of Kalaithiruvizha competitions will also be organised, the Minister announced. He also added that Class 10, 12 equivalent certificates will be issued for students at music schools if they pass the language exams held by the education department.