As the second term comes to an end for Government and Corporation schools on Saturday, headmasters and teachers are taking innovative steps to keep students of classes 10, 11 and 12 motivated to face a slew of exams.
With an additional class (Class 11) writing the board exams this academic session, students and teachers are faced with a new challenge from this year, they say.
Schools in different parts of the district are providing additional coaching to all students. Teachers begin the day with ‘morning study’, an hour of fresh study materials and test papers.
Many teachers feel that morning is when the mind is the most active. “Students can focus better and can solve new problems. This is a productive time,” says V. Suganthi, a teacher from a government school in Melur.
After-school revisions are done until 5.30 p.m. every day. Special training will be given to students who are not academically inclined or identified as slow learners. Heads of other schools in the district say that they follow a similar system too.
Schools like Corporation’s Kasturba Gandhi Matriculation Higher Secondary School that have regularly produced toppers say that focused training and special classes will help a lot those falling behind.
“We have made many failures pass the final exams. They have gone on to study successfully after that,” said A. Veeranan, Assistant Headmaster.
All HMs from Corporation schools in Madurai regularly distribute lentils and a small drink for energy. While the Corporation funds most evening snacks, teachers often pitch-in and buy students groundnut burfi, etc. Since they have all been given yoga training, students from Elango Government Boys High School regularly practised yoga.
Counselling through teachers and private agencies is done regularly to prevent student suicides. Children are urged to approach their respective teachers and heads, says Chief Education Officer of the district N. Marimuthu.
A. Amutha Rani, a counsellor at Childline, says that stress and anxiety therapy are provided to students. Teachers at M. Kallupatti’s Government High School say that they also provide counselling to parents too.
Students at Pandian Nedunchezhiyan Corporation Higher Secondary School say that utilising the library on their premises and playing in the ground are the greatest de-stress acts, they say.
