The Hindu : 300 government schools to have English language laboratories

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 18, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

300 government schools to have English language laboratories

By K. Ramachandran

CHENNAI, JAN. 16. The Education department has identified 300 government high and higher secondary schools for establishing English teaching laboratories. A high-power committee of curriculum planners and subject experts is developing material for setting up the laboratories at a cost of Rs. 2.25 crores. Seventyfive per cent of the cost will be borne by the Government and the rest by the parent-teacher association (PTA) of the school.

The Education Minister, S. Semmalai, explained the proposal in the Assembly during the last budget session. Official sources in the department said identification of the schools was over and Rs.1.78 crores sanctioned as government share. "We will have to see how soon the PTAs raise their share. Meanwhile, the Government has formed a technical committee for purchasing the laboratory materials through a tender process," a senior official said.

Each laboratory would be set up at a cost of Rs. 75,000. The initial target group would be students from standards IX-XII. The English teacher would take charge of the laboratory.

"Once the equipment is in place, we will provide orientation to the teachers in use of the laboratory.''

An expert involved in the programme says taped cassettes can be used to educate students on diction and pronunciation. By listening to and repeating the clear and correct diction, they will learn how to pronounce words. Then their ability can be improved in using the language for greeting, thanking, congratulating and apologising.

New subject for Plus-Two

Another group is working on the course material and lessons for "Communicative English" to be introduced for Plus-Two from the coming academic year. This replaces "Advanced English".

Officials say the new subject will lay stress on communication capabilities of students rather than on literary English.

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