COIMBATORE: The school education department plans to introduce a foundation programme from the next academic year to strengthen English communication skills of students.
The programme will be implemented in classes 6 to 8 in government schools.
Sources said the department is collecting details of district-wise English teachers who have been remarkably successful in developing foundational language skills through innovative teaching methods.
According to education department sources, even though government school students pass English exams, they struggle with basic skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Deficiencies in psycho-linguistic factors impact student’s language development. Moreover, they hesitate to speak in English due to an inferiority complex.
The sources added that to address these issues, the education department has initiated efforts along with teachers, to implement best practices for enhancing student’s language skills. To facilitate this, a collaborative and informal knowledge-sharing platform is envisioned, where effective teaching methods can be adapted.
A top educational officer told TNIE, “As a first step, Chief Educational Officers have been instructed to recommend the names of dedicated English teachers who have demonstrated excellence in language instruction. These teachers will be invited to participate in a brainstorming session soon. Based on the teachers’ best practice method and students’ performance in English, we would implement a foundational language skill programme in the next academic year. ”