Regular classes based on ‘Samacheer Kalvi' books commenced on Tuesday in all government, government-aided and self-financing schools in the district.
Teachers and students alike relished the first working day of this academic year, according to school heads and officials of school education department. Students seemed to evince interest in the contents made appealing with photographs.
The process of distribution of textbooks was completed on Monday by the school education department after making requisite corrections. Teachers, particularly those handling secondary classes with qualification of diploma in teacher training, felt that they require rigorous orientation on the approach to be adopted to handle the new contents. Subject teachers with UG qualification and B.Ed., appointed through Teachers Recruitment Board for handling secondary classes, felt they were better placed to handle the classes with confidence. The general opinion of government school teachers was that the standard of ‘Samacheer Kalvi' was higher and better than that of the old syllabi.
On its part, the Inspectorate of Matriculation Schools has also completed distribution of text books to 115 schools in Tiruchi district, 20 in Perambalur and 15 in Ariyalur district. A few schools that had earlier contemplated purchasing textbooks from private publishers later placed their orders with the Tamil Nadu Textbook Society to avoid uncertainty.
As in the case of government schools, teachers in matriculation schools also felt the need for an orientation on the contents and the teaching-learning approach.
Official sources said the Directorate of School Education has planned a series of orientation programmes for primary and secondary-level teachers under the aegis of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, and for those handling ninth and tenth classes utilising a provision of the Rastriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan.
