The Tamil Nadu school education department has prepared a three-week bridge course for students of Classes IX to XII. This is ahead of the reopening of schools for students of these classes from September 1. School education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyymozhi will have a detailed meeting with Chief Educational Officers (CEOs) of the state on Tuesday regarding the reopening of schools and the challenges to be faced by the department.
The Tamil Nadu State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT) has prepared the syllabus and content for the three-week bridge course. A senior academician with the SCERT who was part of the team that prepared content for the bridge course, told IANS, "Refresher course for Class IX will contain basic concepts that the students have learned in classes VI to VIII. This is to help teachers in teaching all the topics again."
The expert said that the refresher course for language will be mainly focused on grammar, reading and writing skills and lessons taught online will also be included as part of the bridge course The teacher said, "Higher secondary students would be taught what they have learned in schools again to make them comfortable in the higher secondary classes."
School teachers are however of the opinion that the bridge course would be useful only for those students who will attend physical classes once the schools reopen on September 1. Ullaskumar, a Physics teacher at a Government school in Kancheepuram told IANS, "All these efforts will go in vain if students don't turn up in schools after reopening on September 1. Parents will also be reluctant to send their wards to schools. In my opinion, exemption to students in not attending schools be given only on a case to case basis and not as a general rule."
He also said that students will have to attend bridge courses so that they are abreast in basics before reaching higher classes. The teacher said that various teacher associations and educationists have already communicated to the school education department to make sure that students come to schools in good numbers once physical classes commence for senior classes.
