Tamil Nadu mulls new cluster model to check dip in school admissions

CHENNAI: The state government is planning to restructure the way its schools are run in a bid to check the dip in admissions. The plan is to have headmasters of government higher secondary schools to monitor primary and middle schools within a five km radius to create clusters of 10 to 15 schools. Each cluster will have a resource centre at the higher secondary school to provide training to cto schools.So far, some resource centres functioned in middle schools with no access to the facilities and resources available in higher secondary schools.
The government passed orders this week making the changes that will see about 3,000 headmasters of higher secondary schools taking control of 31,000 primary and middle schools. Government schools — with a strength of 45 lakh students — have been facing flak for their inability to meet the aspirations of the students and parents.
“The restructuring is for the betterment of teachers and students. There will be greater monitoring,” said an official. The mandate of the resource centres is to provide teachers rich academic support — reference material, interactions with subject experts and strategies for better performance. The centres will have to draw up performance indicators and monitor quality.
“The cluster resource teacher educators will work under the guidance of heads of higher secondary schools and take care of the entire cluster. As no-detention policy is being followed for classes 1-8, students end up in higher sections without knowing basic functions like reading and writing,” another official said.
As poor performance is attributed to lack of monitoring in government primary and middle schools, the heads of higher secondary schools will be vested with powers to oversee teaching and learning in the entire cluster and give necessary guidance.
However, the plan has not gone down well with some sections, especially primary school teachers. “The headmasters of high and higher secondary schools focus on students appearing for board exams. It would be difficult for them to monitor primary and middle schools. The present system is doing well,” said All India Federation of Elementary Teachers’ Organsiations secretary V Annamalai. He warned the government’s move could lead to chaos in elementary education in the state.
Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers Mandram general secretary K Meenatchi Sundaram alleged that primary school headmasters would lose their authority over teachers and students. “The infrastructure in government schools is not as good as in private schools. The state government should appoint at least one teacher per class to improve the strength in government schools,” he said, on the dwindling number of students.
Joint Action Council for Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (JACTTO-GEO) has convened a meeting in Chennai on August 27 to discuss the issue.