‘Recruitment improved student-teacher ratio’

Ensure safety of children and do repair works, heads of schools told

Higher Education Minister P. Palaniappan addressing a conference of AEEOs in Tiruchi on Saturday. Photo: A. Muralitharan

The student-teacher ratio in primary and middle schools has risen to an appreciable level in the State, thanks to the appointment of 64,734 teachers in the last two years, said Education Minister P. Palaniappan on Saturday.

Addressing a meeting of Assistant Elementary Educational Officers of eight districts at Bishop Heber Higher Secondary School here, the Minister said the student-teacher ratio for primary schools stood at 27:1 and for middle schools at 28:1. This was much above the national average of 30:1 and 35:1.

Several welfare schemes introduced by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa ensured an increase in the sex ratio from 945 girls for 1,000 boys in 1991 to 995 girls for 1,000 boys now.

Mr. Palaniappan, according to an official release, advised the heads of schools to ensure the safety of children by not delaying repair and maintenance of old buildings. They should guarantee the psychological wellbeing of children by not humiliating them in public and by praising them in the midst of their peers.

D. Sabitha, Principal Secretary, School Education, asked the AEEOs to monitor whether heads of schools were taking steps for the safety of children. She appealed to the schools to utilise the services of 10 mobile counselling units to protect children from developing psychological problems.

Jayashree Muralidharan, Tiruchi Collector, said the performance of students in public examinations had improved in 2012-13. The pass percentage in SSLC examination went up to 95 from 91 and in higher secondary examination from 88 to 94. A special scheme to perform corrective surgery on 127 differently abled students was being implemented in Tiruchi district, she added.

AEEOs from Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Ariyalur, Perambalur, and Cuddalore participated in the meeting in which shields were presented to heads of schools who performed well in the previous academic year.

Pooja Kulkarni, Project Director, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, and V.C. Rameswara Murugan, Director of School Education, were present.