Thiruvananthapuram: Taking a cue from the success of the Kerala State Civil Service Academy which has sent more than 300 candidates from the state to the civil service in the last 11 years, the career guidance and adolescent counselling wing of the directorate of higher secondary education has initiated an annual residential programme for class XI and XII students to equip them to write civil services examinations.
As many as 350 students from 14 districts—25 from each district—will attend the first edition of the programme, christened Pathfinder, for four days to be held in December in the Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvalla, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Kannur and Shornur centres of the Academy, according to Oommen Varghese who is in charge of English communication at Pathfinder. The selection of students to the programme was based on a written test specially prepared by the Civil Service Academy, Mr Varghese said. “The selections were made from the students recommended by the government and aided schools,” he said.
The programme follows a comprehensive, concise and focused system different from the style followed in classroom teaching, Mr Varghese said. “It envisages developing a research attitude in the children through free interaction with instructors. The sessions will be interactive and informal, aimed at helping students to prepare for all future competitive examinations.” The students will be admitted to various centres of the Academy on the completion of the course. The two-hour objective type screening test covered current affairs, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, history, geography, politics and economics at 10th std level, apart from mathematical ability and mental ability.
