TIRUCHY: Despite the promise of a monthly stipend and an edge in future competitive exams, only a handful of students from government higher secondary schools in Tiruchy have managed to crack the Tamil Talent Search Examination (TTSE) in the past three years as compared to their counterparts in private institutions. While calling for structured training, educationists, pointing to the exam scheduled for October 12 this year, urge at least crash courses to be held for government school students in order to improve their chances at clearing it.
The TTSE provides 1,500 scholarships annually for Class 11 students. While all government, aided and private school students competed for the scholarship in 2022, the scheme was revised in 2023. Since 2023, the scholarship has been made available for 750 students from all schools, including CBSE, while the remaining 750 is reserved for those from government, aided and Adi Dravidar tribal welfare schools. While anyone can apply, those who crack the TTSE receive Rs 1,500 per month until they complete Class 12. The exam, held every October to promote Tamil excellence, however, saw only three from government schools in Tiruchy crack it as against 19 from private schools.
On the government-only list, 13 students from Tiruchy qualified. In 2023, only one government school student in the district figured alongside the 10 aided school students and 20 private school students in the open category while 12 cleared under the government quota. In 2022, when the exam was held jointly, 10 government, five aided and five private school students in the district bagged the scholarship. An exception has been the government higher secondary school in Lalgudi, where nine students cracked the exam in 2024 and four in 2023.
The Government Model School also had three securing the scholarships last year. Headmaster G Arachelvan, credited structured coaching for the school’s feat. He said Tamil teacher K Sangalimuthu screens Class 11 students from June and trains about 50 shortlisted candidates through evening classes held thrice a week as well as extended weekend sessions. "The syllabus largely covers Tamil taught in Classes 6 to 10, though it is officially said to be Class 10-level," he explained.
Arachelvan said that many successful candidates hail from families with a modest background. "One girl's father is a vegetable vendor, while another one’s is a daily-wage worker. For them, the exam is not just about marks, it's about hope and opportunity," he remarked.
Meanwhile, educationist S Sivakumar said structured training could improve government school students’ chance at TTSE and also help them in Tamil-based competitive exams like TNPSC and TET. With just days left for the October 12 exam, the district can at least hold crash courses to give government school students a fair chance in cracking the TTSE, he added. When enquired, a senior district education official assured that steps are being taken to arrange special crash course until the exam date.