09-05-2025
DEEP initiative shows spectacular result in Class 12 examinations in Nagapattinam district
Through coordinated efforts by the School Education Department and the district administration under the District Educational Excellence Programme (DEEP), Nagapattinam district has recorded a significant improvement in Class 12 public examination results, climbing from 37th to 11th place in the State rankings — out of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu.
The district's overall pass percentage rose from 91.19 in 2023–24 (37th rank) to 96.03 in 2024–25 (11th rank), marking one of the most notable year-on-year improvements in recent years. The district was previously ranked 33rd in 2022–23 with a pass percentage of 90.68 and 28th in 2021–22 with 92.31.
Chief Educational Officer M.K.C. Subhashini attributed the progress to a sustained and joint effort. 'Several government school teachers and headmasters dedicated themselves selflessly to support students, especially from marginalised backgrounds.' she said.
A major component of the success was 'Project 100', a special initiative under DEEP, which identified 30 consistently low-performing schools over the past three years. In these schools, meetings were held with all stakeholders — including teachers, School Management Committees, panchayat presidents, and village administrative officers — to trace long absentees and give them focused attention.
Unique approach
While all districts in Tamil Nadu distributed minimum learning materials (MLMs), Nagapattinam adopted a more focused and differentiated strategy for extremely weak students. The district handpicked its best subject teachers to author custom MLM content, forming dedicated WhatsApp groups for all 13 subjects to coordinate efforts.
What set Nagapattinam apart was its deliberate simplification of these materials —compressing them further than standard MLMs — to ease anxiety among struggling students. 'We observed that bulky revision notes created fear in weaker students. So we gave them extremely concise, focused notes and repeatedly tested them on just that. This reduced their stress and boosted confidence,' said a government school teacher.
The MLM authors collaborated directly with school subject teachers through online meetings to refine content and address doubts. Repeated revision, doubt clearance, and subject-specific mentoring were prioritised for these learners, especially in the final weeks leading to the exam.
From last year June onwards, government schools implemented daily 15–25 mark tests and monthly assessments to build writing practice and overcome exam fear. 'By the time students faced the final exam, they were confident and well-prepared,' she added.
