TN to set up toll-free helpline to give guidance to students

CHENNAI: Parents and students who are worried about their education and the course ahead will soon receive guidance as the school education department gears up to set up a toll-free helpline for the purpose.

The Tamil Nadu Text Book and Educational Services Corporation has been entrusted with the task of selecting a service provider on behalf of the school education director.

The guidance cell will provide information related to the availability of resource materials for subjects like art, literature, culture, science, technology, medicine and commerce, and employment opportunities for these subjects.

The helpline will also guide students on various state and national-level competitive examinations and provide advice to teenage students. In addition, students will also receive information on various government schemes, including loans, for students.

The service provider would operate the helpline for a period of one year, which would be extended based on the performance, said an official in the directorate of school education.

This is the department's second attempt to set up a helpline since 2006. The department had set up a complaint cell for students who encountered various problems, including corporal punishment, in schools. However, the project failed to gain traction, and it was eventually stopped.