CHENNAI: As part of efforts to boost participation and performance of government school students in competitive exams for higher education courses, the school education department will organize block-level career guidance training for students of class 12. In the first phase, classes will be held in 87 higher secondary schools spread across 15 districts.

Principals of public higher secondary schools have been tasked with entering contact details of students interested in weekly training sessions into the Education Management Information System (EMIS). Schools selected for training have been asked to ensure that high-tech laboratories, microphones, speakers and Wi-Fi facilities are in good condition.

The State Office will send the necessary educational content to these schools. “The block supervisor must ensure that students receive hard copies of the taught content every week,” a department circular states. Career guidance teachers from model schools in the districts were invited to visit different schools and undergo the training.

Trained career counseling teachers will organize counseling programs on various entrance exams for interested students by November 9. The districts participating in the first phase include Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi, Karur, Nagapattinam, Ranipet, Thanjavur, Nilgiris, Theni. , Tirupattur, Erode and Kanniyakumari.

The courses will be organized with the support of the high school school management committees. Students must bring their own lunch, while snacks will be provided by the host schools. The related expenses will be met by the department of integrated education, the circular added.

While model schools in each district provide training to high-achieving students to help them get into top-notch educational institutions, the department has integrated career guidance into the public school curriculum in 2022 with the aim to improve the State’s gross enrollment rate in higher education.