Government schools across Tamil Nadu will reopen on Monday after the summer break, ushering in a new academic year with a strong emphasis on digital learning and foundational skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic. This initiative reflects the state’s commitment to modernizing public education and enhancing student outcomes from the earliest stages. CBSE and other board-affiliated schools in Tamil Nadu are scheduled to reopen between June 2 and June 6.
For the first time, digital interventions will begin at the Class I level, as all government primary schools have now been equipped with smart boards. Middle schools have been furnished with high-tech laboratories to support interactive and practical learning.
“Students will enjoy a unique digital learning experience from day one,” said P.A. Naresh, Director of Elementary Education. “Our focus this year is on increasing enrolment, maintaining consistent student attendance, enhancing academic performance, and ensuring strict adherence to child protection standards under POCSO.”
Ahead of reopening, schools have undergone extensive campus cleaning and held preparatory meetings among teachers to finalize academic plans. Already, over 1.85 lakh students have enrolled in Class I across government schools, and officials expect enrolment to exceed 4 lakh by the end of June.
A new flagship initiative titled ‘Thiran’ is being launched for students in Classes 6 to 8. It aims to strengthen reading and writing proficiency in both Tamil and English, while also reinforcing fundamental math skills. “Language development and numeracy are our priorities,” said S. Kannappan, Director of School Education. “Teachers will be using digital tools to improve students’ pronunciation and spoken English, while multiplication tables will be reinforced through daily practice.”
Looking ahead, the state government has announced a comprehensive curriculum and syllabus overhaul across all classes, to be implemented starting in the 2025–26 academic year. However, this year’s admissions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act in private schools have been suspended due to pending reimbursements from the central government. Typically, around 70,000 students are admitted to over 8,000 private schools under the RTE provisions each year.
To further strengthen academic performance, some government schools have introduced foundational coaching for competitive exams like NEET and JEE starting from Class 9. Meanwhile, Chennai Corporation schools are setting ambitious targets to improve board exam outcomes and increase enrolment. “We are aiming for more top-performing students in Classes 10 and 12 this year,” said Padmaja R., headmistress of Chennai Girls Higher Secondary School in Saidapet.
