Grooming the less privileged

It is 4:30 p.m. The Education Officer of Chennai Corporation walks into an air conditioned room in the Girls Higher Secondary School in Arunachalam Street, Triplicane. The 20 teachers in that room, absorbed in computer work, do not notice him. The EO is not offended. On the contrary, he beams with appreciation at the lesson plan a geography teacher from Perambur has made. Soon 700 corporation school teachers will complete a training course conducted by Intel. The EO talks to the Intel representative about its progress and leaves.

In the corporation school at Nungambakkam, computer science teacher Gowrishankar boasts about his well-equipped lab and `centum' results. His student, Devika is now with NIIT, Padmapriya is doing CA and many others are data entry operators.

It is 9.25 a.m. at the Corporation Primary School in Thiruvanmiyur kuppam. In the corridor, some boys from the fifth standard are making the students of junior classes recite the multiplication tables. The bell rings and the children assemble quietly in rows. Three boys conduct prayers. Quickly senior boys take positions on the steps leading to the first floor and guide the younger ones safely to their respective classes. In Std. V attendance is taken and the activities begin. A group dances to a popular film song tune. The lyric goes: Who was the man associated with the falling apple, my dear? It was Isaac Newton, none other, my dear. Dance over the students are ready to answer questions on magnetism.

In the next room, the Tamil alphabet is written on the board. A child throws a ball at a letter called by the teacher and is applauded for hitting the right answer. The aroma of the mid-day meal being cooked fills the room.

Winds of change are sweeping corporation schools in Chennai. The direction to this is being given by some dedicated headmasters, headmistresses and teachers.

``Chennai has a history of well-run corporation schools,'' says Deputy Commissioner, D.P. Yadav. "In the last decade, great work has been done to restore their efficiency.''

Yadav finds the comparison in the standard of teaching between corporation and private schools odious. ``We manage 354 schools with 4,422 teachers working under severe constraints. Still we have sufficient provisions to discipline teachers.'' He quotes the Tamil Nadu Civil Service Conduct Rules which include censure, warning, stoppage of increments and dismissal. ``But, over the years, the school environment has changed,'' he points out. ``New teaching methods are followed and teachers have freedom to improvise. A UNICEF supported broadsheet `Chutti' is brought out with teachers' contributions.'' Other areas of thrust are strengthening the PTA, in-service training and close monitoring of schools.

Yadav's official duty begins everyday with visits to at least two schools.

One major reason for the improved teaching standard is the upgrading of the infrastructure. Adequate furniture, fans and lights have been provided in most schools. Another is the Fifth Pay Commission-recommended pay structure ``which is much higher than in any private school in the city. "Satyabhushanam, a teacher at the Thiruvanmiyur school points out that the appointment of adequate teachers has reduced the workload. The new learning methods and increasing awareness among parents too have helped in improving the standard, he adds.

There are regular review meetings after examinations to judge the performance of the schools and the students and remedial measures are suggested thereafter. Zonal supervisors make surprise visits to the schools and erring teachers are pulled up. ``So far 100 teachers have been charge-sheeted,'' says EO Kannappan.

Every school has to have a minimum number of students. So, come June, teachers go on an enrolment drive in the neighbourhood kuppams.

Out of the 373 students in the Boys High School in Thousand Lights, nearly 90 per cent are from slums opposite Apollo Hospital. For Headmaster S. Krishnaswamy and the dozen teachers, it is a formidable task to coach these children, particularly in English and Mathematics.

``I have to make standard IX students write multiplication tables. It is impossible to get them to do any homework. Most of them hardly have any place at home to study, have uneducated parents, alcoholic father, frequent quarrels in the family etc. For these children attending school itself is an achievement as many of them go for work,'' says the HM.

Balamurugan of Standard X goes to Parry's Corner every morning to buy garlands for the street statues, for which he is paid Rs.900. His father does not go to work. So, this income means a lot to the family. Others work as paperboys and errand boys in hardware and vehicle repair shops. Some go fishing and return only at 3 a.m. Girls work as domestic help. Saraswathi of class X cooks for seven people at home as her mother is ill. But no student is detained as `fail' because they may never return to school.

Seline, who teaches English says, "The teachers have to work very hard to help these children learn. Particularly, students appearing for Board examinations are given intensive coaching. It is heartening to see many of them now in the toppers' list. This year 22 students got into engineering colleges.''

A lot of importance is also given to health, hygiene and discipline in these schools. Students are engaged in sports and literary activities.

``Accountability is not an issue anymore,'' insists Pulavar S.V. Gopal, winner of National Award for Best Teacher (2001) and HM of the Nungambakkam school, the oldest corporation school in Chennai.

Successful corporation school pass-outs are perpetually cited as role models to motivate the students. A 1956 batch SSLC student, Dr. Balasubramanyam, who is in the U.S gifts Rs. 25,000 every year to the first ranker. Another ex-student supplies water.

The Higher Secondary School on M.H. Road, Perambur (strength - 3363) with Rathi Devi at its helm, is a fine example of a successful corporation school.``My school is very popular in the area,'' says the HM with unhidden pride. ``We teach computers from class VI and our class IX students have developed lesson plans. We have achieved 88per cent passes. Students of this school regularly win prizes in inter-school competitions and Kausalya, who recently talked her way to Japan studies here''.

Despite many problems, teachers of Chennai corporation schools are shaping the future of poor children with a missionary zeal. Yet, they look forward to outside help to perform their task better. Any volunteers?

GEETA PADMANABHAN

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