By M BhavaniCoimbatore: Students should make informed choices about higher education as the course selected after Class XII can shape their future, Coimbatore district collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar said on Wednesday.Speaking as the chief guest at a Kalloori Kanavu (College Dream) guidance programme conducted here by the school education department, the collector said Coimbatore district has more than 180 colleges and that the administration’s goal is to ensure every student who passes Class XII enters higher education. “In a developed state like Tamil Nadu, it is difficult to build a successful life without education,” he said.Sharing personal experience, he said all members of his family, including his younger brother, had studied in govt schools in Karnataka. “My brother barely passed mathematics in Class XII. However, when he decided to study law, he joined a law college, excelled in his studies, graduated as the college topper and received a gold medal. The course we choose after Class XII can become the foundation of our future,” he said.Speaking on the occasion, chief educational officer R Balamurali said the Kalloori Kanavu career guidance programme was being held after a delay caused by the assembly election.He said every school has a nodal officer for career guidance and that support had been provided earlier as well. He said the current programme was an inauguration and that similar events would continue until September. This event featured stalls from more than 30 colleges, with spot admissions possible in some cases. He said priority for the first event was given to students awaiting engineering counselling and who had not yet applied for the college. He added that more students would participate in upcoming guidance programmes.Coimbatore Corporation commissioner Katta Ravi Teja said, “College is not merely a place to earn a degree. It is where students discover and develop their talents in fields such as sports, arts and music.”EOM
