Case made for more Corporation Higher Secondary Schools in Tiruchi

There are constraints in expanding student strength in government-aided schools

Educationists expect Tiruchi Corporation to initiate measures for upgrade of some of its high schools into higher secondary schools in the interests of the working class.

Currently, there are only two Corporation Higher Secondary Schools in the city. The corporations of Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore have a good number of higher secondary schools, say educationists.

Students in the Corporation schools, after their upper primary classes, mostly pursue their education in government-aided higher secondary schools.

There are quite a number of government-aided higher secondary schools in the city, and a chunk falls under the minority category institutions.

The number of applicants are several times more than the available number of seats at the higher secondary level in these institutions.

The stand of the managements of government-aided schools, in general, is that there are difficulties involved in accommodating higher number of students from corporation schools in classes IX due to factors such as shortage of teachers and classrooms.

The presence of a sole government higher secondary school in the city limits (Syed Murtuza Govt. HSS) has been a solace to the working class. "The scope for upgrading corporation high schools into higher secondary schools must be explored by the civic body in right earnest," S. Sivakumar, a Tiruchi-based educationist and former Principal of DIET, Kancheepuram, said.

The presence of a good number of government higher secondary schools in the city's peripheries including Sholamadevi, Thuvakudi, Somarasanpettai, and Arasangudi are indeed favourable to the working class. But, the start of government higher secondary schools by the Corporation by upgrading high schools in places such as Ariyamangalam will be of immense benefit to the economically backward families, according to a headmaster of an upper primary school in Tiruverumbur block.

The civic body has a responsibility to ensure that the funds accruing from education cess was utilised optimally through upgrade of existing schools on a periodic basis, he said.