The Hindu 25.01.2010
Corporation school teachers’ role commendable
Aloysius Xavier Lopez
— Photo: K.V.Srinivasan
ENERGETIC: Biscuits being distributed to class 10 students of a Corporation school at an extra class for exam preparation.
CHENNAI: While debates about board examinations constantly focus on the race behind percentile points and the accompanied stress, there are many children for whom appearing for the board examination is itself a measure of achievement.
A large number of underprivileged children in the city continue to be deprived of much-needed attention required during their schooling years. Coping with the demands of the board exam is a bigger challenge for them.
Hence, the role played by Corporation school teachers becomes more visible during the board examination season. “We are focussing on providing self-awareness to the students to tackle the board exam,” said T. Nalinakumari, headmistress of a Corporation High School in Mylapore. Most of the students’ parents are illiterate, she added.
The initiative to distribute free biscuit packets to students in the evening has proved helpful in sustaining the energy levels of the students during exams, said K.Vani, a Corporation school teacher.
An entirely different approach is needed for preparing our students for the board exams, said V. Selvakumar, a teacher of another Corporation school. Some teachers feel that having a counsellor at school and explaining all the challenges that students normally face will help them handle stress better during examination.
According to Chennai Corporation Education Officer Mohana Kumar, instructions have been given to ensure that teachers are not harsh on students for scoring low marks. Underprivileged students need the support of teachers as the role of parents in their education is minimal, he said. Some Corporation schools have started to hold a series of tests based on the board examination pattern, and evaluate the answer-sheets for better feedback. This will give the students more exposure by pointing out their weak and strong areas before appearing for the board exams, said Ms. Nalinakumari.
