KAKINADA: Many students feel stressed at studying in English Medium and while preparing for the Class X examinations this year, as they have no foundation in the language. The Covid-season school closure further hurt their studies.
Teachers of various government schools noted that this was the last batch of Class X students who faced the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic season, they could not gain knowledge in various subjects as the schools mostly remained closed.
Many students in government high schools such as those run by the Zilla Parishads were not able to attend classes. Now, they are in Class X. This academic year, the government instructed all the schools to introduce English Medium. Some of the institutions have approached the court and the government subsequently made this optional for the students. But many of the parents had already admitted their students to English Medium.
“Since these students do not have any strong foundation in the English language, they as well as the teachers faced hardships. Teachers tried their best to take classes for them,” said K. Nagesh, the Kakinada district president of the AP United Teachers Front.
He told Deccan Chronicle that the government-appointed subject teachers came on promotions in February. Until then, the students and the teachers of many schools had difficulties acquiring knowledge in the subjects in the English medium.
According to education department officials of five districts -- Kakinada, the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari and Eluru -- some 40 per cent of the students, on average, were lagging behind in Mathematics and English subjects. However, a 100-day plan of action is being implemented by dividing the students into A, B, C and D; and the (weak) C and D category students were being taught for extra hours.
“The students are being taught the six subjects in the morning time and the examination is being conducted during the evening time by giving them some selective questions. It is yielding good results,’’ said Kakinada DEO, Annapurna. She said the target-oriented programme was being implemented in six subjects and this was found to be helpful to the students.
Eluru DEO, Ravi Sagar, said that though the percentage of C and D category students was 40 per cent, their number has been reduced drastically with special classes and there has been improvement in the students due to the special attention given to them by the teachers.
East Godavari DEO Abraham said 12 per cent of the students, that too in Telugu medium, were lagging behind in some subjects and steps were being taken to help them by conducting special examinations. "Selective, easy-to-answer questions are being given to them."
