Urban News

The Hindu  05.10.2010

Coimbatore Corporation to introduce smart classrooms

Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE: Coimbatore Corporation would introduce smart classrooms in eight schools, Anshul Mishra, Commissioner, said here on Monday.

These classrooms would have interactive boards that came with electronic pens, projectors and laptops, he told reporters here. Teachers could dispense with chalks and use the boards.

The eight schools, all higher secondary schools, would be covered in the first phase, and other schools would be covered later, he added..

The necessary software, customised for Tamil Nadu syllabus, came with the boards and being a new venture, the Corporation had sought the help of the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu - both for technical support and guidance on expenditure.

And, teachers would be trained to handle the smart classrooms.

Mr. Mishra said the Corporation would also embark on a project to network all schools. The proposal would cover all its 32 schools so as to facilitate easy movement of files and communication.

A committee had been set up for the purpose which would guide the civic body.

Based on the committee's suggestion, the Corporation would prepare an estimate and float tender.

The civic body had carried out several infrastructural development works in the past four years, he added. On the quality of education, he said there was a proposal to provide additional foundation skill training for students of lower classes.

Soft skills

To impart soft skill training to higher class students, the civic body had tied up with a private agency.

Soft skill The corporation was also focussing on extra curricular activities. Just as a private agency had been hired to provide soft skill training, another would be engaged for extra curricular activities. Students would compete with schoolmates, with other Corporation school students, with students in the same zone and with those across the city.

Mr. Mishra said it was part of the efforts to make Corporation school students on a par with those from private schools.

To a question on student-teacher ratio, he said, as per Government norms, the civic body was maintaining the same at 40:1.

The Hindu  29.09.2010

English medium sections planned

Staff Reporter

The Chennai Middle School in Narasingapuram is among those where English medium sections will be introduced.

CHENNAI: The Corporation will start English medium sections in 40 of its schools from October this year.

The Corporation Council on Tuesday passed a resolution approving English medium sections in 23 Chennai Primary Schools and 17 Chennai Middle Schools. The decision has been taken in order to increase the number of students on the rolls. Currently, there are 28 Chennai Schools with English medium sections, with a total strength of 2,207 students.

The civic body has decided to start English medium sections in schools with strength of over 40 in Class I. Some schools with very less number of students have also been identified for starting English medium sections. The civic body will spend Rs.1.6 lakh for procuring ABL cards for such English medium students. The Chennai Primary Schools that would have English medium sections include those located at Chinna Kodungaiyur, Erukkancherry, Rajarathinam Nagar, Patel Nagar, O.L.K.Area, Kappalpolu Street, T.V.K.Nagar, Ammaiammal Street, Moore Market, Solai Street, Koyambedu, Naduvankarai, Lloyds Road, Thiruvalluvar Nagar, Jafferkhanpet, CIT Nagar, Ekkattuthangal, Alwarpet and Taramani. Chennai Middle Schools in Santhome, N. S.Garden, Trustpuram, Varadarajapuram, Narasingapuram, New Kamaraj Nagar, GPW Colony and Vellala Teynampet are among those to have new English medium sections.

7 more dental clinics

The Corporation will open seven additional dental clinics in the city in about a month. A resolution on this was passed at the council meeting. The civic agency is already running a dental clinic in Ashok Nagar. Two such clinics were opened in Teynampet and Tondiarpet High Road a few months ago.