CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation has credited its ‘spark’ programme for the corporation schools’ solid performance in the higher secondary board exams this year and has planned to step it up to a year-long programme in the forthcoming academic year.
The programme, that puts top performers in Classes X and XII in the ‘gifted and talented’ category and slow-learners in the ‘challengers’ category, is expected to start right from June this year. For the last academic year, the programme was initiated in January 2017. Students, who were classified based on quarterly and half-yearly examinations, trained for five months until their examinations in March.
“This time, we’re planning to identify students based on their Class XI final examinations so as to begin the programme early. Those who perform well in their Class XII quarterly and half-yearly exams would be included in the programme later,” said a senior corporation official.
Corporation schools recorded an 88.7 pass percentage this year and doubled the number of students scoring 200 to 119 from last year’s 51. Two students scored 200s in all four core subjects — a first in at least 10 years, according to officials. Boys are accommodated at the Subburayan Chennai Higher Secondary School while girls are lodged at the higher secondary school in Saidapet. Aside from specially-appointed teachers, the students also receive free boarding and food.
Corporation officials are also planning to tie up with coaching centres for IIT-JEE and NEET coaching. “We gave NEET training to 25 students last year and are looking to tie up with chartered accountancy coaching centres this year,” the official said.