The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), in the Tamil Nadu budget, has been sanctioned to form child protection committees in all primary and middle schools with their respective counsellors heading them, placing emphasis on the well-being of students, stated The New Indian Express report.
These committees are aimed at helping students tackle all possible physical and mental problems they might potentially face, said the corporation. It added that 10 more counsellors will be appointed to help students from Class VI to XII and that this project will be worth Rs 35 lakh.
The 2024 budget for the state of Tamil Nadu was presented by Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu at the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Monday, February 19.
Last year, seven counsellors were appointed in numerous high and higher secondary schools, according to a report by The New Indian Express. For the first time, the GCC will provide shoes and socks to children in Classes I through V, helping 64,022 students for Rs 3.59 crore. It would also install four CCTV cameras in each of 255 schools in extended areas for Rs 5.47 crore.
The STEM Academy of Excellence, which initially only allowed students of Classes XI and XII, will now admit students from Classes IX to XII. Rs 47.25 lakh was also allotted to take more than 24,000 students in Classes IV and V on educational tours to various places in the city.
Academically gifted students of Class X, upon scoring good marks in public examinations and continuing their education in government schools would be taken to Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on academic tours.
GCC would provide ID cards to all of the 1,20,15 children in corporation schools for Rs 61 lakh. New books based on the revised syllabus will be printed for LKG and UKG children at the cost of Rs 19 lakh, while play schools will receive learning equipment for Rs 14 lakh. The budget also provides for convocation ceremonies to be conducted for Upper Kindergarten (UKG) students.
Schools can also hire sports teachers on a consolidated salary to train students in various sports and take them to regional, district, state, and national contests. An amount of Rs 30 lakh has been allocated for this. Teachers will also receive training to help their students improve their English reading skills.
To make gender club activities written-based, a competition will be introduced and Rs 22 lakh has been allocated for books and training. Vocational education will be provided for women at the community colleges in Alwarpet and Purasaivakkam at Rs 50 lakh.
