Tamil Nadu govt to discuss NEP on August 3, PMK calls for revision

The Tamil Nadu government will

respond to the New National Education Policy (NEP) after a detailed discussion with Chief Minister K Palaniswami on August 3, state school education minister K A Sengottaiyan said on Thursday.

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.

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.

NDA constituent PMK contended there were many positive aspects in the NEP, and numerous negative aspects as well.

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.