As the free National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) preparatory crash courses concluded in Coimbatore district on May 4, trends have emerged indicating a decline in participation among government school students.
Three centres across Coimbatore city, Pollachi, and Mettupalayam provided a two-month-long crash course to approximately 371 government school students registered for the NEET exam on May 5. However, data obtained from these centres revealed a notable decrease in student attendance over time, prompting experts to highlight the emerging trend.
At the outset, around 140 students, the highest in the district, engaged in the crash course in Coimbatore. However, attendance dwindled significantly, with only around 20 students attending classes between April 15 and May 1. A similar decline was observed in Mettupalayam, where attendance dropped from 98 students to a mere 12 in less than a month.
Introduced this year by the State School Education Department, the centralised crash coaching system aimed to support students in their NEET preparation but faced challenges in attracting and retaining attendees.
The decline in participation can be attributed to various factors. government schools in Tamil Nadu were directed to provide coaching to students from November, but many schools struggled due to staff shortages and the need to prioritise board exam preparations. As one school administrator in Pollachi explained, the focus was on ensuring students performed well in the board exams, leaving limited resources for additional coaching sessions.
Further, logistical challenges hindered access to the crash courses for students from remote areas. The absence of transportation services compounded financial constraints, preventing some students from attending private tuition classes. “Most students cannot afford to attend private tuition, and the lack of coaching centres forced some students to even dropout of attempting NEET altogether,” said S. Nivesha, a NEET aspirant from Sirumugai.
In total, approximately 9,200 students will be appearing for the NEET, across 18 centres. Of these, 612 students belong to government and government-aided schools.
