GO on elementary education: Notice to TN on PIL seeking review

The Madras High Court bench here on Thursday ordered notice to the Tamil Nadu government on a petition seeking review of an order on elementary education on grounds that there were alleged deterioation of educational standard.

Justices T S Sivagnanam and R Tharani directed the government to file its counter to the petition on December 12.

The public interest litigation (PIL) filed by J Madhu sought to also restrain the school education department from admitting the students in the elementary school without obtaining transfer certificate from the school where the child has already studied.

The GO was issued pursuant to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

The petitioner submittedthere were four types of elementary schools - central school, state government school, state government-aided private schools and private school.

The standard of education in thestate government elementary schools and aided private schools were not upto the expected level under the Act, he said.

The privilege of joining the elementary school according to the age had not given the expected result and there were discrepancies in admission of the student in elementary school, he said.

A student who has studied in any elementary school is being admitted without transfer certificate. Besides the GO that no child shall be held back in any class had affected the standard of education in the elementary school, the petitioner said.

The objective of the Act was to promote the elementary education as well as safeguard the standard of primary education.

The functioning of the elementary school as per the GO had affected the functioning of the school and also the strength of the government elementary schools and aided schools, he said.

Hence, the GO should be reviewed, the petitioner said.