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Tamil Nadu government plans to appoint a high-level committee of educationists and experts to formulate a ‘distinct’ State Education Policy in keeping with historical legacy, present situation and future aspirations, announced State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan in the Budget, which laid a lot of emphasis on education.
School education is accorded the highest importance in this Budget, with an overall allocation of ₹32,599.54 crore. “This government is determined to ensure that Tamil Nadu is brought within the first three States in terms of learning outcomes in India,” he said.
Provisions
All teachers will be able to receive technology- enabled, monitorable and evidence-based training through 40 tablets supplied to each of the 413 Blocks at a total cost of ₹13.22 crore, he said.
The Ennum Ezhuthum Mission to ensure foundational literacy and numeracy will be implemented to ensure that by 2025, all students in Tamil Nadu till age eight are able to read with comprehension and possess basic arithmetic skills. A provision of ₹66.70 crore is made for this purpose.
High-tech laboratories will be set up in 1,784 government middle schools at a cost of ₹114.18 crore and smart classrooms will be established in 865 Government High and Higher Secondary Schools at a cost of ₹20.76 crore.
To ensure that students who study in government schools are afforded the opportunity to excel in academics, fine arts and sports, a special scheme will be implemented to establish model schools, he said.
Covid-ready
The immediate priority of this government is to minimise learning losses to students due to the Covid-19 pandemic. All teachers have been trained in necessary Covid protocols and will be vaccinated so that schools can reopen and function at the earliest. A comprehensive plan for remedial education, both within and outside school hours and premises will be launched to address learning losses, he said.
On higher education, ten new Government Arts and Science Colleges will be started this year. To further enhance quality, the government will enable more institutions to obtain accreditation under the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. The large number of vacancies, particularly of teaching staff will be filled on a priority basis, he said.
A Learning Management System (LMS) integrated with an Enterprise Resource Planning Software will be established for all higher education institutions in Tamil Nadu for which a detailed project report will be prepared, he said.
Smart classrooms will be provided in 25 Government Polytechnic Colleges at a cost of ₹10 crore. New hostel buildings will be constructed in four Government Engineering Colleges to reduce overcrowding.
A total of ₹5,369.09 crore has been provided in the Revised Budget Estimates 2021-22 for Higher Education, the minister said
Commenting on the announcements for the education sector, Jayaprakash Gandhi, a career consultant and analyst in the education sector, tweeted, ‘after a long time, great to see the Tamil Nadu government giving importance to higher education too. A separate educational policy for the State definitely lays foundation to improve rural education and will bridge the digital divide between rural and urban.’
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