Government and aided schools working hard to boost enrolment

CHENNAI: With efforts to bring as many students into government and aided schools, the management of schools in the State is leaving no stone unturned, trying different ways to boost admissions for the new academic year 2024-25.

As one such case, the Ambedkar Government Higher Secondary School in Egmore has been aggressively promoting admissions by distributing pamphlets. They say they intend to try all means to boost admissions this year.

But, interestingly, the students are being admitted by listing out the different infrastructure availability in Tamil Nadu schools, including the Ambedkar Government Higher Secondary School in Gandhi Irwin Road. The particular school has called for admissions from classes 6 to 12 for Tamil and English mediums. The pamphlets mentioned the special features of the school such as experienced teachers, ventilated classrooms, purified drinking water, science and computer labs, smart classes with library facilities, and virtual classes.

Additionally, schemes from the special allowance for girl children and scholarships and 14 welfare schemes are also being implemented for students. Also, students are given free textbooks, uniforms, bicycles, laptops, bus passes, and more.

Speaking to DT Next, a teacher of the school said, “High admission number is vital as it helps in running the school for the long-term. Otherwise, we will gradually have to sacrifice each class, when the number of students’ turnout is poor.”

The teacher says, not just distributing pamphlets, but the teachers and school management committee (SMC) across the State have been busy sticking posters on their bikes and going for awareness drives.

Meanwhile, as per department data, some of the districts have achieved high fresh enrolment percentage, such as Tiruvannamalai, Tirupur, and Dharmapuri with 94 per cent, Pudukottai, Thanjavur and Coimbatore with 96 per cent, Tenkasi, Theni and Nilgiris with 97 per cent.

Students, especially girls are being offered various schemes of the State govt and also other welfare programmes