Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi led a meeting of school education officials on Thursday in Chennai.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, he said the main focus was on the announcements made for the development of school education in the State during the Assembly proceedings.
“Nearly 28 new announcements were made for the department, and these were discussed by the Textbook Corporation, SCERT and the Directorate of Matriculation Schools. Directors and joint directors from the department took part, and discussed their focus areas and set targets for the same,” he said.
Addressing concerns raised against students who have dropped out owing to closure of schools during the pandemic, Mr. Mahesh said district-level officials had already been asked to check with schools about how many were not in attendance. “There is already an ongoing study for the same and we expect to get a full survey report by mid-October. In the meantime, officials have been asked to work with schools and take stock of the situation,” he said.
The Minister said since schools reopened on September 1, through random checks, 148 students had tested positive. “Of around 35 lakh senior students, 28 lakh students are back on campus. We understand that some students and parents are hesitant, and we have been constantly informing schools not to force any student to come and attend classes,” he added.
