It would be an option from class one, said mayor Saidai Duraisamy while
announcing the civic body’s budget for the year 2012-2013.

The Chennai Corporation
had been realizing for a few years that their admissions had been
dropping annually, because parents preferred to put their children in
English medium schools.

The civic body had already set up
around 99 English medium sections across the 40 primary schools.
“Keeping in view parents’ desire to offer English medium education for
their children, we will introduce 20 English medium sections which will
run along side the existing Tamil medium sections,” said the mayor.

The budget for the year 2012-2013 like the previous year focuses on
education and making students more fluent in English. Another
announcement was construction of English language labs
in 15 middle schools. The labs are expected to “enhance the language
skills of students such as listening, speaking, reading and writing in
English.”

Ten new kindergarten schools will also be started by the civic body.

All-round development of children was also kept in mind this year.

The civic body would identify and train 10 students with potential in
swimming and athletics to participate in national level meets. Picnics
to places like Dakshin Chitra would be organized to impart knowledge on
art and culture.