The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : The experiment paid off for the Madurai school

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 06, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

The experiment paid off for the Madurai school

By Akhila Seetharaman

MADURAI, JUNE 5. It is the beginning of the new academic year and the atmosphere in the TVS Lakshmi Matriculation Higher Secondary School here is warm, welcoming and, most of all, upbeat. The school bagged all top three slots in this year's matriculation examinations.

This was no accidental success. The school's experimental PEP programme, geared to coach top students to excel, paid off. The PEP (Public Examination Preparation), brainwave of a team headed by the principal and the vice-principal, aimed at giving the bright students an extra boost.

"In their anxiety to help slow learners, the brilliant ones go uncared for," explains A. Sudhakaran, principal. "They have the basic potential; all they need is guidance."

Five students each from eight sections were selected for the programme. Being selected was motivation in itself, he says. The chosen ones, 40 in all, were given an introductory pep talk.

The PEP package included in-depth guidance on class work, advice and feedback on presentation style, home tests, extra examinations and discussions. All this, exclusively for the top 40.

"The PEP's doors are always open to all, provided they make the grade,"

says the principal. The school's `life skills' course, open to all irrespective of grades, hones a range of skills, from reading and writing to decision-making, time management and goal setting.

Mind mapping helps

"Mind mapping really helped me," says M.A. Uttara, who secured the first rank in the examinations with 1,068 out of 1,100 marks. "We were taught how to remember information as a `track fan', that way all the main points come to mind when you need them," she says.

The second and third rankers, V. Swarna (1,067) and A. Rukma Krithika (1,064) agree with her. They believe that working smart is as important as working hard and approach exam-writing as one would approach a craft to be mastered.

"Impressing the evaluator is important," says Mr. Sudhakaran. Recognising this, the students were given training in presenting their answers, using diagrams, and even selecting colours for diagrams.

`Inspiring competition'

"The competition within the school was fierce and inspiring," says Swarna. The toppers made the top three even in the revision examinations, with the order slightly altered.

"Most importantly, these children took it casually and never got nervous," says Mr. Sudhakaran. The toppers never went to extra classes barring the odd math tuition. "There is an illusory fear that the student is missing out, if he or she doesn't attend tuition classes." The students' success is proof that one can work well without going to extra class, provided the school offers the necessary inputs, he says.

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