CHENNAI: The state government’s frequent reversal of education policies , among other reasons such as the introduction of NEET , is driving state board (Samacheer Kalvi syllabus ) students to schools affiliated to other boards , primarily CBSE Latest to join the list is the contradictory stance adopted by K A Sengottaiyan, school education minister, and officials over the conduct of board exams for Class V and VIII students. While officials have released circulars framing guidelines for the exam based on the Centre’s decision, the minister said there will be no exam this year.“The state cabinet is yet to take a call on this,” he reiterated on Thursday.This proposal, however, has attracted criticism from various quarters, including opposition leader M K Stalin, who argued that this will put young minds under immense stress.When TOI checked with CBSE schools in the city and other parts of the state, it found there has been a surge in the number of parents seeking admissions across grades.S Arumainathan from TN Students’ Parents Welfare Association said the confusion over policies has put parents of state board children under continuous stress. “There was always an uncertainty when it came to board exams for class XI, question pattern for class XII, rationalisation of syllabus after complaints that it is voluminous, weekend NEET classes and now class V and class VIII board exams. We want our children to study in a peaceful environment. The government, by making all these changes, is indirectly supporting privatisation of education,” he said.Parents, who want to put their children in different schools, usually start inquiring about fees, seats and other facilities from the first week of February so they can submit application forms on time.Admissions to sought-after schools are completed by March on a first-cum-first-serve basis and the applications submitted after annual exams results are out are put on a waiting list, said P Kannan from Nandambakkam. “To avoid this, we have already applied for admission to two CBSE schools this week,” Kannan said.Migration to CBSE schools has been a regular phenomenon for the last seven to eight years and the introduction of NEET was the last straw on the camel’s back, said Vikas Surana of Vidya Sagar CBSE School, in Chengalpet. “We get calls to admit students in class I-VIII and particularly in class X. But, this is not possible,” he added.Vishnu Saran from Shree Niketan Group of Schools said introduction of the new syllabus helped matric schools retain its strength, but its implementation became difficult without enough trained teachers.

Stay updated with all the Chennai Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.