Around 14,000 students enrol in Class 1 in districts

In Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts, admissions for the 202425 academic year have commenced, with around 14,000 students enrolled in Class I across government and governmentaided schools, according to officials from the school education department.

Traditionally, Class I admissions took place at the start of the academic year. However, given the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, teachers and headmasters of government schools were instructed to initiate enrolment from March 1. Subsequently, teachers distributed numerous pamphlets to families during their canvassing efforts.

A total of 8,476 students in Coimbatore and 5,389 in Tiruppur, aged five and above, have been admitted to Class I. An official stated, “To boost enrolment rate, the State has permitted admission campaigns before the current academic year concludes.”

This comprises the 177 students enrolled in CCMA Government Girls Higher Secondary School on Raja Street in Coimbatore, which is the sole higher secondary school in the district offering Class 1 education.

In an effort to raise awareness, teachers were tasked with organising rallies and special camps before the summer break, highlighting various initiatives, including breakfast programmes, smart classrooms, hitech labs, provision of free textbooks, and a 7.5% special reservation for government school students in professional courses. Teachers and headmasters were also encouraged to engage school management committee members and Illam Thedi Kalvi members in the admission process.

“Our focus is to boost enrolment in Class 1 because once they join in primary classes, they will continue to go to higher grades and their foundation can be made strong,” said Coimbatore Chief Education Officer M. Balamurali.