The Times of India 12.03.2013
Councillors pitch for English medium corporation schools
MADURAI: Pointing out the
rising demand for seats in matriculation schools among parents in the
city, councillors urged the Madurai corporation to introduce English
medium corporation schools during the corporation budget meeting here on
Monday.
Pointing out the escalating demand for the
matriculation school seats among the parents in the city, councillors
have urged the corporation to introduce English medium of instruction in
more corporation schools during the corporation budget meeting on
Monday.
The councillors accused private matriculation schools
of fleecing money from the parents due to the absence of English medium
schools run by the civic body. Stressing the demand S T Jeyabalan,
councillor of ward 64, urged the corporation to re-open the school at
Kansamettu street which has been locked for several months and convert
it into a English medium corporation school. He predicted that the
enrolment of students in corporation school would be high if English
becomes the medium of instruction.
M Chellam, councillor of
ward 63, supporting the proposal said that the corporation had already
taken some initiative on this line, but it was not carried out
effectively. She also urged for the establishment of an exclusive
women's college run by the corporation to serve the poor students in the
city.
Replying to Chellam's suggestion, mayor V V Rajan
Chellappa said that the plan was already under consideration. However,
when the civic body scrutinised the possibility of establishing a
self-financing college, it was found that recurring expenditure,
including the salary for faculty, would be very high, which is
impossible for the corporation to bear. However, the mayor promised to
consider the setting up of a college with some government assistance.
On the demand for introducing English medium of education in more
number of corporation schools, Suganthi Ashok, chairperson of the
education committee, said that the corporation had introduced the system
in five schools recently. She assured that it would be extended to more
number of schools in the future.