Chennai, April 17 : The Tamil Nadu School Education Department has planned an enrollment drive of new students from classes 1 to 3. The drive will commence today and will continue till April 28. This is aimed at increasing the number of students opting for government schools. Generally the school education department conducts admission drives during the month of June but it has been advanced to April to rope in more students in government schools and to create awareness among the parents to enroll their wards there. R. Muthuswamy, an official with the school education department, while speaking to IANS, said: "The department will be creating awareness among public on the advantages of a government school education including reservation in higher education, stipend for girl students and other facilities." He also said that the school education department will be promoting the increase in extra curricular activities in government schools as parents preferred private schools for having better facilities for extra curricular activities. The school education department has directed the district education officials to hire a vehicle and to move around creating awareness for 50 schools. This includes foreign trips for students of government schools who perform well in academics as well as in extra curricular activities like debate, quiz and other cultural activities. The department also wants the district officials to speak about the 20 per cent reservation for government school children in government jobs, 7.5 per cent reservation for students of government schools in higher education, and Rs 1,000 as stipend per month for girls studying in government schools for their higher education. Teachers, education department officials, and volunteers of Illam Thedi Kalvi volunteers will be involved in the campaign and funds have been sanctioned for the awareness programme by the school education department. The awareness programme will also highlight the presence of good toilets and drinking water facilities in government schools in the state. /IANS