TN’s move to provide reservation in MBBS may revive govt schools

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:23.03.2020

The state government's move to provide special reservation for NEET qualified government school students may revive the staterun schools as it gives hope to the students to join MBBS.

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced that the state government would form a committee headed by a high court retired judge to make recommendations on this regard. The special reservation would be provided within existing 69% reservation.

The number of students joining medical colleges from government schools has reduced from 34in 2016 to 2 last year following the NEET based medical admission. Though more than 2000 students from government schools qualified in NEET only two students were able to join due to the increase in the MBBS cut-off last year.

"It is an excellent move. More students will join the government schools thereby they would flourish again. It also would help government school students to study in government medical colleges," said G Shanmugavel, headmaster, Government Higher Secondary School in Chennai.

He said government school students are equally talented when compared to the private school students but not able to give repeat attempts to crack the test.

Last year, about 70% of students joined MBBS courses were old students.

"We have been demanding it for many years. Students' strength in government schools would be increased," said R C Saraswathi, headmistress of Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Ashok Nagar.

Another headmaster from a city school requested the government to relax the Class I to XII rule and asked to make it either Class I to XII or Class VI to XII. "Many government schools do not have primary sections. So, parents are admitting their wards in neighbourhood primary schools. They mostly come to government schools only in Class VI," he said.

A Peter Raja, president of Tamil Nadu High School and Higher Secondary Schools Headmasters' Association said the reservation would be a big encouragement to the government school students. "Parents also will get motivated to put their children in government schools. Bright students also will stay back in government schools after completing Class X," he said.

However, educationist Prince Gajendrababu called it as a populist announcement. "The state government has failed to understand the problem. The move has to clear several hurdles," he said.