Seven girls from one government school in Chennai have landed medical and dental courses this year, benefitting from the 7.5 per cent reservation for government school students in MBBS and BDS seats. While five of them secured a seat after repeated attempts, two made it in the first try.
The Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Ashok Nagar, has been headed by its principal RC Saraswathi, who won the National Award to teachers for 2020, bestowed by the Department of School Education andLiteracy, Ministry of Education. The particular school is a sought after institution for which many parents have relocated to the neighbourhood to increase the chance of their ward getting enrolled.
Speaking to Express, the principal Saraswathi said that the school aims to make their girls responsible citizens who live with dignity in society. -"My daughter could not get a medical seat because we could not afford the seat. Today, when I see my students getting these admissions, I feel like my own daughters have gotten that opportunity,-" she said. Saraswathi added that students were motivated to realise their aspirations every day during the assembly programmes. Recalling an anecdote, she said that the state government gave a scholarship of Rs5,000 to one of the students. -"I asked the girl to not spend that money on anything except her own education. She did not even give that money to her father during the lockdown. Today, she secured a medical seat in her first attempt at NEET,-" Saraswathi said overjoyed. She said that the school had a policy of answering all questions and doubts students had. -"We do not differentiate between present and passed-out students. Any student who joins our school will continue to get our support as long as they need it,-" she said. While 18 students from government schools in Chennai secured admission in state-run medical and dental colleges, five of them are from the school in Ashok Nagar, said a senior official from the school education department. -"The school is known for its holistic approach to education. Students do well in both academics and extracurricular activities consistently,-" the official said. Last year alone over 75 students from the school had signed up for the free online classes to crack the National Eligibility cum entrance test (NEET) organised by the department and over 90 have signed up this academic year.
Prema, a student who got a medical seat this year on her second attempt at NEET said that most students did not have to take any coaching as the school taught them well. -"I did B Sc Nursing after school as my parents did not want me to take a gap year. I used to keep asking my school teachers to clear my doubts and they would do it patiently always,-" she said adding that she did not go to any private coaching as her father, who is a vegetable vendor in Koyambedu could not afford it. Prema said that even when she was not confident, her school took the initiative to enrol her in the medical counselling. She has gotten aseat at Vellore Medical College and wants to pursue Oncology afterMBBS.
