COIMBATORE: Class 12 vocational students from around 400 government higher secondary schools in the state are unable to go on an Industrial Visit (IV) this academic year owing to lack of funds.
Sources say at least 20,000 students are likely affected across the state as the state government is yet to release the funds.
"In 2023 the school education department introduced industrial visits for Class 12 students to help them understand current industry trends and ensure trade-specific exposure in vocational education. For this, the state government provided Rs 500 for industrial visit expenses and Rs 100 for transport expenses. Schools would receive this funding based on student strength," a vocational teacher at a government school in Coimbatore told TNIE.
"When we enquired about IV funding, education officials in Coimbatore district said there was no chance to get it as the central government had stopped it. We can't take the students on industrial visits. The state government should allocate funds. Last year it had allocated Rs 2.50 crore to 404 schools," he said.
The revamped vocational stream is in force in 404 government higher secondary schools across the state. Eight types of subjects, such as Agricultural Science, Basic Electronics Engineering, Accountancy and Auditing, and Textile and Dress Designing, are offered to students in classes 11 and 12.
Another teacher told TNIE that he took the students of Accountancy and Auditing stream to a private milk firm near Somanur in Coimbatore in August 2024.
"Students spent time in the account and audit section of the firm and learned about its industry and business aspects practically. Similarly, textile and dress design students visited a garment factory in Tiruppur and learned about its activities. It was very useful for them. The government should take steps to allocate the funds," he urged.
V Jayakumar, the joint director (vocational) in the school education department, told TNIE that the funding had not been stopped and that the schools would receive it as the work is currently underway.