While the performance of Vellore district in terms of school education is improving over the past 10 years with the pass percentage in the board examinations gradually increasing every year, efforts are on by the Education Department here to streamline the administrative setup.
The move is aimed at improving the standards of education, school infrastructure and services.
Vellore district was formed in the year 1994 after being bifurcated from the erstwhile North Arcot District, separating Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts. Two educational districts of Vellore and Tirupattur were also formed with the Chief Education Officer headquartered in Vellore. Each of these educational districts covers 10 blocks each, under 11 taluks.
Officials opined that if another educational district was carved out of the existing two, things would be much easier both for the officials and the schools in terms of bettering administration and quality of education.
At present, a total of 580 schools (government, aided and private) are under the control of both Vellore (287) and Tirupattur (293) educational districts. On an average, around 85,000 students get enrolled in high schools, 1.7 lakh in higher secondary school and another 1.3 lakh in private schools.
However, to inspect schools or distribute materials in faraway taluks like Arakkonam in Vellore educational district, the officials have to travel for about 115 km from Vellore.
The end-to-end distance in Tirupattur educational district is around 110 km. Productive days would be lost due to travel alone for the officials, it was felt. The Education Department is coming up with a proposal for a new education district with headquarters at Ranipet. In fact, this is to address one of the longest pending demands of the teaching community and the parents.
Sources said under the new proposal, Vellore educational district would have 196 schools (government and government aided-140 and private schools-56) housed in seven blocks of Vellore, Anaicut, Kaniyambadi, Katpadi, K V Kuppam, Gudiyattam and Madanur, 190 schools (government schools-134, private-56) in Tirupattur educational district comprising the blocks of Tirupattur, Kandili, Natrampalli, Alangayam, Jolarpet and Pernambut, and 194 schools (government schools -136, private-58) in the newly proposed Ranipet educational district comprising the blocks of Timiri, Arcot, Wallajah, Sholingur, Kaveripakkam, Nemili and Arakonam.
The new proposal also removes many of the anomalies such as grouping of the schools without taking into consideration proximity, convenience and better service aspects.