Power tests patience on Day 1 of registration

CHENNAI: Chennai’s power cuts played spoilsport on day one of the Education Department’s initiative allowing Class 12 students to register at the District Employment Exchange online from their schools on Wednesday. Students who had gathered to register themselves at the schools spent hours waiting for the power cuts to end even as others went home disappointed. At the Presidency School the power went off at 11 AM only to resume two hours later. Thousands of students thronging the centres soon after receiving their mark sheets, were disappointed at having to wait so long for power to be restored. R Nithyashree, who came in for the registration, told Express, “We had to wait for a long time before the registration could happen. It is an ordeal in this weather to come all the way, and still not be able to register. So instead of coming tomorrow, I waited and got it done.”But authorities assure that delayed registrations would not affect seniority. Chief Education Officer, Chennai district, Nagarajan Murugesan said, “That is the advantage of having a system like this. For the next 15 days, any student registering any time of the day, will share the same seniority as someone who registered on May 25. Today there was a problem also because the website was being accessed at the same time across all the centres. Most students from Chennai district who received the marksheets today tried to register and that created little glitches. The students who could not register today can do it tomorrow.”For registration, a student has to bring the marksheet, family card and a photocopy of the family card. A HIT IN TIRUNELVELITirunelveli District Collector M Jayaraman inaugurated the online registration system at Sarah Tucker Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Palayamkottai on Wednesday. He said the new system would ease the rush at the employment exchange.To facilitate the online registration, a training session had been organised earlier for computer teachers and heads of institutions. If the student is disabled, he or she should also register their names with the District Employment Office after online registration at schools.148 SCHOOLS OFFER REGISTRATION IN THOOTHUKUDIThoothukudi Collector C N Maheswaran, inaugurating the drive at St Lasalle’s Higher Secondary School here, said a total of 15,531 students had passed the higher secondary examinations in the district. Online registration system is being carried out in 148 schools in Thoothukudi district.