Greater Chennai Corporation will increase the number of Montessori environments in schools run by it owing to the increase in enrolment after the pandemic. Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi has directed officials to impart training to teachers in the Montessori methodology. As many as 200 schools will get infrastructure for creating the Montessori environment shortly. D. Sneha, deputy commissioner (education), Greater Chennai Corporation, said the GCC has a total of 200 schools with kindergarten (KG) classes. “As many as 31 schools have Montessori environments. We have a total of 66 environments. Student enrolment in KG has increased from 10,748 to 15,901 during the pandemic,” said Ms. Sneha. The Chennai Corporation has recruited 330 temporary teachers on consolidated pay and has planned to impart training in Montessori methodology in six months. As many as 73 permanent teachers are also part of the Montessori environment. A total of 14 schools have developed a Montessori environment with support from NGOs.
Of the 15,901 students in kindergarten, 7,123 are in LKG and 8,778 in UKG. At least 12,000 students in Corporation schools are expected to get into the Montessori environment shortly. Many parents have transferred their children from private schools to the Corporation schools after the pandemic. Corporation teachers said the enrolment in schools run by the civic body has increased owing to better facilities and the 7.5% reservation for the children in higher education including medical and engineering courses. The civic body also gives scholarships for students who get admission to courses in institutions of higher education.
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