KOCHI: How many of you would like to become doctors and engineers? All the students except one raised their hand when DGP Loknath Behera asked them this. Behera asked her what she wanted to become and her answer was “agriculture scientist”.
The DGP was interacting with students at the launch of the district administration’s Puthuyugam programme aimed at training students from financially backward families in engineering and medical entrance examinations. “Students should be allowed to select their field of study. Parents should not coerce them. Students should ask questions. Education should be an answer to their questions,” said the DGP.
Behera told students questions are not asked directly in entrance examinations.
“Students must have a thorough understanding of the subject to answer such questions. Only if a student selects his favourite subject as his career option, will he will be able to apply himself completely and leap towards success. Students should not spend much time on WhatsApp and Facebook, but devote most of their time to studies,” said Behera.
The Puthuyugam programme will train poor students in communicative English, and medical and engineering entrance examinations. Students from aided and government schools are selected for the training. This year, training will be given to 400 students whose family income is below Rs 1 lakh. They were selected based on an aptitude test. A total of 450 hours of training will be given to the students.
An additional 50 hours will be devoted to communicative English training.
Classes will be conducted on second Saturdays and public holidays at the Ernakulam Government Girls HS, Perumbavoor Girls HS and Aluva Girls HS. The entrance coaching will be given by experts from the Alphonse Kannanthanam Academy of Career Excellence while communicative English classes will be conducted by Southerland Global Services.