Government school students ill-prepared for NEET

The Central Government’s announcement that the National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test (NEET) 2017 for entry into medical colleges will be held in six vernacular languages, including Tamil, matters little to students in government schools.

It is not just because no criteria has been fixed for rural students under 15 per cent All India Quota.

The criteria for State quota seats will continue to be fixed by the State Governments, but the question is how prepared the students are.

Students of CBSE schools seem to have better scope for qualifying in the exam. While a good number of private schools have been imparting coaching by roping in training institutions, there is still no clarity on how students of government schools will be equipped for the entrance exam six months down the line.

Indications are that the department still waits for clear-cut instructions from the government on how to go about training the students. Teachers in government schools have begun to admit that their students were at a clear disadvantage and stand no chance to clear the exam even if the training is initiated at this juncture.

A saving grace is that a few government schools are doing their best by tapping the strength of alumni network to impart NEET coaching.