NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, JULY 30
The Tamil Nadu government will respond to the New National Education Policy (NEP) after a detailed discussion with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on August 3, said State School Education Minister K A Sengottaiyan on Thursday.
இன்று கழக மா.செக்கள், கழகMP,MLAக்கள், உயர்நிலை செயல்திட்டக்குழு உறுப்பினர்கள் பங்கேற்ற கூட்டம் நடைபெற்றது.
மாநில உரிமைகளுக்கு எதிரான #NEP2020-ஐ நிராகரித்தல், #ScrapEIADraft2020, கலைஞர் நினைவுநாளில் #Covid_19warriors– ஐ சிறப்பித்தல் உள்ளிட்ட 4 தீர்மானங்கள் நிறைவேற்றப்பட்டன! pic.twitter.com/oANpLrI5fR
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) July 30, 2020
The principal opposition party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (DMK) wanted the Centre not to implement the NEP in the present form and said two-language policy (of Tamil and English) should be allowed in Tamil Nadu.
However, the ruling AIADMK’s ally, the PMK, sought revision of the policy, by removing the “dangerous” aspects in the NEP and incorporating the proactive measures suggested by the 1964 Kothari Commission.
The Minister Sengottaiyan told reporters in Erode that he would discuss the NEP with the Chief Minister. “We are awaiting the details… will discuss (the matter) with the Chief Minister,” he said.
Meanwhile, the DMK batted for a two-language policy.
A resolution passed at a meeting of the party’s MLAs, MPs and party’s district secretaries’ video conference meeting under DMK president M K Stalin, said there should be only a two-language policy in the state. It opposed the introduction of Hindi.
“As former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu C N Annadurai said Tamil Nadu must follow only a two-language policy system, there is no space for the three-language policy in Tamil Nadu,” the resolution said.
Constituent of NDA at the centre, the Pattali Makkal Katchi contended there were many positive aspects in the NEP, and numerous negative aspects as well.
8-ம் வகுப்பு வரை பொதுத்தேர்வு, மும்மொழி கொள்கை தேவையற்றவை:
புதிய கல்விக் கொள்கை திருத்தி எழுதப்பட வேண்டும்!
(முழு அறிக்கை:- https://t.co/LZzE8w8rmE)#NewEducationPolicy2020 #NewEducationPolicy #educationpolicy2020 pic.twitter.com/GD4aYa19CR— Dr ANBUMANI RAMADOSS (@draramadoss) July 30, 2020
PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss said the proposal of students in classes 3, 5 and 8 taking school examinations to be conducted by the appropriate authority was unwarranted.
“Conducting exams for students in Class 3, will cause mental stress and specifically affect students coming from rural areas and lead to drop-outs. There should not be any board exams till class 8,” the Rajya Sabha member said.
As per the NEP, instead of exams being held every year, school students will sit only for three – at Classes 3, 5 and 8. Assessment in other years will shift to a “regular and formative” style that is more “competency-based, promotes learning and development and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking and conceptual clarity.”
Anbumani Ramadoss pointed out that the proposal on adopting a three-language policy was unacceptable and said though it was stated that the third language would be based on the student’s choice, it appeared that only Sanskrit was given priority and it would lead to imposition of the language.
The mandatory entrance exams for college and university admissions would affect students from the villages, he said and called for dropping the proposal.
The suggestions of the public and his party had not been taken into account, he said but however welcomed the proposal on the medium of instruction.
He also welcomed the announcement that 6 per cent of GDP would be spent on education and the proposal to introduce four-year undergraduate degrees with multiple entry and exit options and abolishment of M. Phil programme.
Meanwhile, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan tweeted, “Glad that Education is getting 6 per cent share of GDP in the new education policy.”
“The immediate focus and reforms needed are in the Healthcare sector now, which gets only 1 per cent of GDP on an average. This share has to be increased to 7-8 per cent if we want to grow as a healthy nation too,” he said.
MDMK founder and Rajya Sabha member Vaiko said that the NEP was “against pluralism and federal principles” and called for its review.
It tried to give shape to “RSS” long term vision,” he alleged.
