Now that there is no escape from the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical colleges, the government is doing its best to get the students to its coaching classes.
On Saturday, the School Education Department opened an additional 312 coaching centres across the State. But even in the city, the students are not showing up in large numbers.
On Sunday too, the centres saw low turnout, which teachers say, is owing to the Plus Two exams that begin on March 1.
Revision exams
“While we had a good number of students attending the day-long coaching class on Saturday, the turnout has been low today. Many students informed us that they would be missing the class to prepare for the revision exams ahead of the board exams, which start in less than two weeks,” said a co-ordinator at a school where there were only about 10 students. Another school in Ashok Nagar had only around 15.
According to the co-ordinators, the numbers would swell only after the end of the board exams when the classes would be held daily till the National Eligibility Entrance Test.
English study material
Amritha Loshini, a Class XII student who has been attending the coaching classes since October, said the English study material was yet to reach her.
“We have been told that they are being printed and will be distributed soon,” she said.
At present, coaching classes are conducted in both English and Tamil and students have appealed for separate sessions to be held in both languages closer to the date of the exam.
“The English medium classes are generally for about three hours and the rest are in Tamil. So the English medium students are finding it hard to follow concepts in Physics and Chemistry,” a teacher said.
P. Meena, a student, said they were yet to receive information if the coaching classes would be held next weekend because of the Board examinations.
“We’re expecting classes everyday after the exams are over for a month before NEET on May 6,” she said.
Residential programme
In addition to the month-long classes being planned after the Board examinations, the School Education Department is working out a plan for an intensive residential coaching programme for those performing well in schools.
These programmes will be held in medical colleges across the State, officials said.
In 2017, the department had inaugurated 100 coaching centres.
According to officials, over 20,000 students have enrolled for the classes and more are expected to sign up.
