Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has started launching new classrooms in many of the 281 Chennai Corporation schools because of the increase in enrolment after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of students has increased from 94,000 to 1.3 lakh in 281 Chennai schools across the city.
Health Minister Ma. Subramanian on Tuesday launched new classrooms at a cost of ₹1.87 crore in the Corporation School of ward 139, in the presence of Mayor R. Priya, Deputy Mayor Magesh Kumar and Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi. Officials said 12 classrooms (six on each floor) were constructed in the new building.
The civic body plans to construct over 600 classrooms for 24,000 students as the current facilities are inadequate to accommodate students who had enrolled recently. Each classroom, with infrastructure including toilets and smart facilities, will be designed for 40 students. Dilapidated buildings may also be reconstructed in various schools.
The enrolment in Chennai schools reduced from 1.3 lakh in 2008 to less than 85,000 in the past few years. The civic body closed 30 schools many years ago, owing to poor enrolment and merged them with other schools in the vicinity. After almost a decade, the enrolment has started increasing as many parents who were unable to pay fees in private schools had reportedly enrolled their kids in Chennai Schools, offering free education. The increase in smart classrooms in Chennai Schools and improved pedagogy is also a reason behind the improved enrolment.
