MADURAI: Tamil Nadu Postgraduate Teachers Association (TNPGTA) has demanded the state government to change higher secondary courses into a junior college system for the development of students in the future.
"Students who go for higher secondary education in colleges not only learn the skill of getting jobs, but they are taught to hone their rational thinking towards everything. The future of the country depends on the mindset of youngsters," read a press statement, undersigned by TNPGTA district president Babu Premkumar.
Blaming higher secondary education (Classes 11 and 12) for not training a student for college, Premkumar said it just teaches them to mug up lessons to get high marks in exams. "Through this method of education, a student can never bring out his true potential.
To change this scenario, the junior college system, which is implemented in many states including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, should be introduced. Bringing a semester pattern in Classes 11 and 12 gives orientation towards higher education and gives space for research based evaluation methods. A student can be relieved from the pressure of writing continuous board exams and a course should be developed in which teachers should have the freedom to evaluate the students based on their original thinking," he added.