Chennai: Even as the school education department demand is scheduled for debate in the Assembly on Tuesday, teachers and educationists are urging the state government to update the higher secondary syllabus and revamp the examination system to make students from the state board competitive at the national level entrance exams.
In view of the common medical entrance test (NEET), the demand for updating the higher secondary state board syllabus, which was 12 years old, is getting louder.
“To enable Tamil Nadu students to crack the entrance exams the higher secondary syllabus should be updated immediately,” said Sami Sathiamoorthy, president, Tamil Nadu High and Higher Secondary Schools’ Headmasters Association. “For example, the chemistry syllabus for NEET exam is really different compared to the state board. More than 50 per cent of the syllabus was not in the state board syllabus,” he said.
“We need to reform our examination system. Whatever changes they did so far are only cosmetic whereas we are in need of drastic changes,” said educationist S.S. Rajagopal.
Commenting that the ‘primary education is the weakest link’, he said, “The government should ensure that each class has a teacher. Many of the schools have two teachers for five classes. If we ensure five teachers for five classes, then the primary education would be better.”
Tamizhaga Primary Teachers Association general secretary R. Doss also demanded the same. He said it will increase enrolment in primary schools.
Tamil Nadu government should spell out its reaction to the draft new education policy at the floor of the assembly, said P.B. Prince Gajendrababu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System (SPCSS).
“Whether the state government is accepting the recommendation in the policy which says that the non-viable schools to be closed?” he asked. He also said the government should press for early disposal of the case regarding the TET exam in the Supreme Court.
Tamil Nadu Higher Secondary Post Graduate Teachers Association state president V. Manivasagan said, “We need to change our examination system with application oriented and skill based questions. The government should adapt the NCERT syllabus.”
