About 2,500 students are studying Computer Science in the district for the last five years without a teacher for the subject.
According to sources in Pudukottai educational district, 60 students Maruthanthalai, 80 at Kalakurichi, 120 students at Pon Pudupatti, 75 at Alavayal and 60 at Ananakottai are studying computer science as one of the subjects at the Plus-II level.
The number of computer science students at Viralimali is 120, while it is 140 at Thirumayam and 35 at Odugampatti. In Aranthangi educational district, 120 students are enrolled for the subject at Ambalavanayendhal and 140 at Aththani. Around 60 students have taken the course in Ariyap atti, 90 at Ammapattinam, 120 at Subramaniyapuram, 75 at Chidhampara viduthi, 70 at Maanchan Viduthi and 40 at Kallur. In all schools, computer science has no teacher for the last five years. In Mulukurichi Adi-Diravidar Welfare School, students of computer science are without a teacher for the last 12 years. This year, about 160 students have been admitted.
At the government model school in Pudukottai, one computer teacher takes class for 200 students and at the Raniyar Girls Higher Secondary School, a single teacher is conducting the class for 400 students. In the government schools at Alangudi and Keeramangalam, one teacher is taking class for more than 200 students.
The situation is not better even in government-aided schools. There are 14 government-aided schools in the district conducting computer science classes without a teacher for the subject.
In total more than 2,500 students are undergoing computer science courses in the district without teachers. Out of these, about 50 per cent of students study on their own, without the aid of teachers.
According to computer science teachers, lack of teachers in the subject affected students. As most of the schools are without computer science teachers, the schools which have appointed teachers for the subject do not consider them seriously, and are asked to prepare list of beneficiaries for the welfare schemes of the government. The additional burden affects the teachers’ performance, they said and appealed to the government to immediately fill the vacancies in all the schools.