CHENNAI: As many as 80,076 students have been enrolled in government schools across the state since the admissions started on March 1. Of this, nearly 85% have joined in Class 1. This includes 46,586 students in primary schools, 21,853 in middle schools, 6,287 in high schools and 5,350 in higher secondary schools.
The highest number of 10,411 students were enrolled in Kallakurichi district followed by Salem (7,890) and Krishnagiri (7,770).
The officials of the elementary education department said they are expecting the admission to cross the 5-lakh mark this year as the government has given a major infrastructure push to upgrade primary and middle schools.
The department has already identified 3.3 lakh children who have reached the age of five and are attending preschool classes in various anganwadi centres across the state.
The officials said they will try to enrol these children in Class 1 in government schools. “We are working to ensure all primary schools have a smart class each and middle schools have hi-tech labs. The labs will have computer teachers. We have also given Rs 1 lakh per primary school to paint the smart classes and buy chairs and tables. More than 80,000 teachers will also be given tabs to improve teaching methods,” said S Kannappan, Elementary Education director. “Last year, the admissions began in April and it started even earlier this year. This will also help increase the number of students in the schools,” said J Robert, general secretary of the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers Association.