'Adequate training must to face competitive exams'

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami today said that providing adequate training for students to face competitive exams was the need of the hour.

Palaniswami also said that the syllabus followed by schools in the state was "no less" compared to others in the country, and sought to assure that students from the state board can indeed do well in central competitive exams.

His remarks come in the backdrop of the opposition to the Centre's NEET (National Entrance cum Eligibility Test) in the state from various quarters including political parties.

One of the criticisms against NEET by those opposed to it is how can a student from a state board background clear the central entrance exam, apparently referring to those students of state syllabus.
 

"There are a lot of questions as to whether students from state board can succeed at all-India level competitive exams. Let me assure you one thing. Our state board syllabus is no less to that of any other state in India."

"The need of the hour is to impart proper training to our students to face such competitive exams," he said.

Palaniswami was speaking at an event organised by the Tamil Nadu School Education Department where he launched a scheme to impart training to students to prepare for such exams.

He said that the School Education Department and the Speed Trust have partnered to provide this kind of training.

A total of 412 training centres would be set up across Tamil Nadu as part of this initiative, Palaniswami said, adding, 100 such centres were being inaugurated today.

The rest would come up very soon, he added.

Palaniswami said that the free-of-cost initiative was being launched to benefit students of class XII this year, especially those aspiring for professional courses.

The classes would be held on Saturdays and Sundays and experts would be used to train students, he said. Course material in Tamil and English will be provided.

Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology and Mathematics would be covered as part of this initiative, the Chief Minister added.

"Since the training is to be imparted free of cost by very good experts, there is no need (for students) to opt for any other training to face competitive exams," he said.

Palaniswami underlined his government's commitment to bolster education, and recalled the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's assurance in this regard, especially in her Vision 2023 document.