Even as Samacheer Kalvi (Uniform System of School Education), which brought in uniform syllabus up to Standard X, enters yet another academic year, concern is mounting among many parents who fear that its “limited scope” might leave students with several shortcomings.
Educationists says this concern has led to many parents taking their children other boards, which is reflected in the increasing trend of many schools in the city starting CBSE streams in the past couple of years. Some schools have also reported instances of parents requesting them to go beyond the academic curriculum and take additional classes that will help the students take competitive examinations.
A parent says her daughter, now in Standard VIII, is studying the same sums in mathematics that she studied a few years earlier in a lower class when she was in matriculation stream.
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Expressing concern over this, she says if mathematics was too basic, students will have trouble in scoring high marks in national-level competitive examinations such as All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE).
N. Nandhini, a parent of a Standard X student, says children are finding it difficult to manage the transition from Standard X in Samacheer syllabus to Plus-One where the old syllabus had been retained.
Under the Samacheer system, students who were earlier in matriculation stream, are able to score high marks without much effort. As a result, they have trouble doing extra work in Plus-One and Plus-Two, she adds.
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The diagrammatic representations in science subjects and the practical component are inadequate, she says.
Vidhya Sridharan, whose two children are in Standards VII and X, says students are scoring high marks under Samacheer system without studying hard. Apart from making students a bit lazy, this is hampering their creativity, she contends.
Echoing similar concerns, Premalatha Suresh Kumar, whose two children are in Standards III and VIII, says it has become difficult to get the children sit down for studies as they reply that they are scoring marks easily. She fears that this may become a habit that will be difficult to break.
Some parents welcome the Samacheer syllabus for these very same points.
A mother of a Standard V student says she is happy with the Samacheer syllabus, mainly because of a lot of projects being included in the curriculum itself. She says the method of teaching is vital for students to reap the full benefits. Academicians who were involved in implementing the Samacheer syllabus, says the initial thrust was to make school education uniform for all students, particularly for those in Government schools.
As a result, it will be easy for those coming from Matriculation or Anglo Indian streams. The syllabus will be revised in a few years and its quality will be taken higher, they added.