Date:06/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/06/stories/2009010660540300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Prisoners may get coaching for exam

Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI: The Central Prison authorities have sought the assistance of the Education Department to provide intensive coaching to prisoners who are appearing for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination in March.

A total of 16 life convicts here will sit for the SSLC examination with Tamil as medium as “private candidates”. The jail authorities have borne the examination fees of these inmates.

The Prisons Department has already written to the State government seeking its permission for the life convicts to appear for the exam.

“Prisoner teachers”

At present, classes for these inmates were being conducted by six well qualified “prisoner teachers” of the Continuing Education Programme in the morning and evening.

Jail authorities told The Hindu that they had already discussed with the Chief Educational Officer (CEO), Tiruchi, requesting him to depute teachers to provide “intensive coaching” to the inmates in Tamil, English, maths, science and social science subjects for two hours in the morning and evening on all days barring Saturdays and Sundays.

The response from the CEO was very positive, say the authorities adding that they had dispatched an official written request in this regard to the Education Department authorities.