Tamil Nadu won’t implement NEP, will frame its own education policy, says minister

Tamil Nadu government views NEP as a 'ploy' to impose Hindi in the state that has opposed the language over the past several decades

Tamil Nadu is “steadfast” in its opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) and feels the only way to cater to the needs of the students is to frame an exclusive education policy for the state, the process for which is in full swing, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said Thursday.

He said students are also expressing their opinion in favour of the existing dual language policy of Tamil and English, while opposing the three-language policy recommended in the NEP. Tamil Nadu government views it as a “ploy” to impose Hindi in the state that has opposed the language over the past several decades.

“We are not in favour of the National Education Policy. Our Chief Minister made it clear to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first meeting in June 2021 after assuming power that TN doesn’t favour NEP and exams like NEET. Our stand is very clear. We are in the process of coming out with a State Education Policy,” Poyyamozhi told reporters in Tiruchirapalli.

He was responding to a question from reporters on TN BJP chief K Annamalai’s statement that the Illam Thedi Kalvi scheme of the state government aimed at bridging the learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic was part of the NEP.

Poyyamozhi spoke to reporters before flying to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with 68 students from various government schools to participate in the Sharjah International Book Fair.

The minister said the government has appointed a committee headed by D Murugesan, former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, to draft a distinct SEC for Tamil Nadu. The committee, which is touring different parts of the state, is likely to complete its consultative meetings with stakeholders in the first half of December after which it will draft the SEP.

“We want a SEP that takes care of the needs of our students. And we also see a lot of students coming openly in favour of the continuation of the dual language policy of the state. We will implement what our children need,” the minister said.

The committee has members from varied fields, including Chess wizard Viswanathan Anand, Carnatic musician T M Krishna, renowned professors, and the headmaster of a government middle school in Nagapattinam.

The constitution of the committee to draft the SEP within a year is also a clear political move as Stalin makes a concerted push against the BJP’s policies, especially in the education sector, like his opposition to NEET and the proposed common entrance test for admission into UG programs.

The DMK government feels a three-language policy, conducting public exams for third, fifth, and eighth standards, and a four-year degree program is not in line with the current education model, including the two-language policy of Tamil and English which successive governments have followed since 1968.