Sunday, April 21, 2019

Abolition of rank robs 5,000 students of scholarships

A Ragu Raman TNN

Chennai:21.04.2019

The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to abolish rankings in board exams in 2016-17 has deprived more than 5,000 top rankers of scholarships and financial aid every year, sources in the school education department said.

The government used to bear the higher education cost of top three rank holders of Class X and Class XII exams. District-wise toppers would get scholarships from government agencies, private companies, trusts and individuals.

However, now, the school education department is selecting 15 students from each district based on their overall performance, including sports and extra-curricular activities.

The selected candidates would receive a one-time financial aid of ₹20,000. For Class X students, it would be ₹10,000. But, it is no way nearer what students used to get when rankings were followed. “The state government used to take care of the entire higher education expenses for the top three rank holders in Class XII board exams. Many educational institutions would offer free education for district toppers. After the abolition of rankings, they have been stopped,” a source said.

More than 100 students from Class X and Class XII used to get the top three ranks at the state level, while hundreds used to score district ranks.

Big corporates approach the department for sponsoring the education of meritorious students. But, due to the policy decision, the government is not giving them any list of students.

Some teachers have questioned the logic of abolishing ranks when the entry into prestigious IITs and civil services are decided by ranks. “Top rankers in joint entrance examination (JEE) and civil services are still being announced and publicized. It is unfair to deny attention to state board students who hail from rural and poor background,” a headmaster said, adding that, “Students should be trained for competition at a young age.”

“There is no need to give undue publicity to top rankers. However, state-level and district-level toppers should be identified and provided free higher education,” educationist Prince Gajendrababu said.

“It would be motivation for both students and teachers. There are many deserving students without means to pursue higher education,” he added.

At the same time, the move has reduced the hype surrounding the declaration of Class XII results. “There was literally no publicity given by private schools this year. It has restricted schools from trumpeting their achievements. I welcome the move to abolish the rankings,” said P Swaminathan, secretary, SRV schools in Namakkal and Trichy.

There is no need to give undue publicity to top rankers. However, state-level and district-level toppers should be identified and provided with free higher education

Prince Gajendrababu |

EDUCATIONIST

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