Chennai, Aug 18 : The Department of School Education has announced plans to upgrade 20 government high schools across Tamil Nadu into higher secondary schools for the 2025'26 academic year.

The move, aimed at strengthening access to higher secondary education, follows the budget announcement made earlier this year by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi.

As part of the upgradation process, 200 postgraduate teachers will be appointed to these schools, with ten teachers allotted to each institution. The subject-wise allocation includes Tamil, English, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, history, economics, computer science, and commerce.

Teachers will be recruited under the pay scale of Rs 36,900 - 1,16,600 (Level-18), and the state government has approved an estimated expenditure of Rs 29.39 crore for the initiative.

Among the schools identified for upgradation is the Mathur Government High School in Chennai's Madhavaram block. Other districts where schools will benefit include Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Krishnagiri, Chengalpattu, Dindigul, Tiruchy, Tirupattur, Madurai, Villupuram, Ramanathapuram, Tiruppur, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, and Kanniyakumari.

Education officials said the initiative is intended to ensure students from rural and semi-urban areas have the opportunity to continue their studies up to Class 12 without having to shift schools or discontinue education.

'It is about time certain high schools are upgraded. This will help reduce dropout rates and encourage students to pursue higher education within their localities,' a government school teacher said.

However, the development comes at a time when the state's education system is facing challenges with declining enrollment in several schools.

The Department of Elementary Education (DEE) had recently closed 208 state-run schools due to zero admissions. In total, 1,204 schools across Tamil Nadu did not record any new enrollments this academic year. These include 208 government primary and middle schools, 114 government-aided schools, 11 partially-funded schools, 869 private institutions, and two union government schools.

Officials expressed hope that the upgradation of high schools to higher secondary level will not only strengthen the public school system but also restore confidence among parents and communities in state-run institutions.

/IANS