The admission process this year for students of State board schools going to Plus 1 will be different for obvious reasons.
In September last year, the School Education Department announced that students would be given the option of taking five or six papers based on the core subjects they chose.
While students have always had six subjects in Plus 1, from the 2020-2021 academic year, the department said they can choose three core subjects and can take another core paper if they wish to. They will have to compulsorily take a language and English.
Students of Science group will now have four combinations of three core subjects to choose from and those taking the Commerce group as well have combinations that they can pick from.
Concerns are being raised about the options offered to students opting for the Science group in particular. “This will greatly restrict the choice of courses that students can take up after Plus 2,” said K.P.O. Suresh, president of the Tamil Nadu Post Graduate Teachers Association.
Mr. Suresh, who is a chemistry teacher, pointed out that the subject was left out of one of the combinations of core subjects and it would be a drawback for students. “Many students make decisions based on their line of study only in Plus 1 and Plus 2 and omitting an important subject might work against this,” he said.
A teacher from a government school pointed out that students who want to pursue medicine or engineering will definitely drop Mathematics or Biology respectively. “Mathematics will definitely help students prepare for competitive exams, but two of the four options given for Science group students don't have it.
“Students should think about their options properly and then make a careful decision instead of simply looking at the reduction in the number of subjects,” he said.
With the preparation of class 10 marksheets under way, most schools in Tamil Nadu are yet to begin the admission process for Plus 1.
In several districts, private schools have been asked to wait until the marksheets are prepared before they can initiate the admission process as well.
K.R. Nandhakumar, State General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Nursery Primary, Matriculation and Higher Secondary Schools Association, said schools would now have to orient parents as well as students before the admission process begins.
“Parents and students need to be made aware of the options and courses they can subsequently pursue in college. Even though students can take a sixth subject if they wish to, we don't think many students will opt to take up an extra paper," he said.
