CHENNAI: Attendance in schools have been slowly dipping after the State government cancelled year-end exams for students in classes 9, 10 and 11, say heads of institutions. The problem is rampant particularly in small private schools and private rural schools.Late in February, the government promoted all students enrolled in these classes. This is the second consecutive year these students have been passed without taking up exams.While the students were extremely enthusiastic about coming to school in the first few days, attendance has been on the decline over the past few days, say school principals.
Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association president R Visalakshi said that students “naturally have less motivation to attend schools.” She said that they were distracted and kept asking to skip lessons. She said that many parents were also not keen on sending their wards to school. “If children come to schools, then parents have to pay fees. When the exams stand cancelled, they ask why we still take classes,” she rued elaborating that parents, particularly those with limited education, did not understand the importance of studying with or without exams.
The principal of a small higher secondary school in Chengalpattu said that students in his school had missed out on learning. “Our students could not afford gadgets for online classes. So they did not study during lockdown and parents did not want to pay fees when the schools were closed. Only about half the parents paid fees in January and the government has already promoted students,” he said adding that parents who did not pay have stopped sending children to school again.
When it comes to government schools, attendance has not been as much of a problem as motivation to study. “Students come to the school for midday meals. They are in fact very enthusiastic to come, because they know they are not under exam pressure,” said PK Ilamaran, leader of Tamil Nadu Teachers Association. He said students were relaxed and happy to meet friends at schools.Ilamaran also noted that students and teachers wanted classes to be cancelled on Saturdays as there was no pressure to prepare for exams. “The attendance on Saturday was so poor. Maybe the government can do away with it,” he said.
Affluent schools and CBSE schools in the city have not seen a significant drop in attendance. “CBSE class 10 students have their public exams anyway. We simply motivate class 9 and 11 students by telling them that their lessons will be useful in higher classes. Over 80 per cent of students attend classes,” said P Vijayalakshmi, principal of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Virugambakkam.KR Nandhakumar, leader of the Tamil Nadu Matriculation, Higher Secondary and CBSE Schools Association, too said that the government should reconsider the decision. “We are asking the government to at least allow schools to conduct their own internal assessment,” he said.
In govt schools...
Attendance has not been as much of a problem as motivation to study in government schools. “Students come to the school for midday meals. They are in fact very enthusiastic to come, as they know they are not under exam pressure,” said PK Ilamaran, leader of Tamil Nadu Teachers Association