Compulsory Tamil puts students in fix

Chennai: Despite taking a pledge to compulsorily teach Tamil as main language in 2006, several private schools in Tamil Nadu continued to teach other languages keeping the students in the dark.

Officials in the directorate of matriculation schools say  they have already informed the schools and even got the declaration form signed by school authorities that they would comply with the norms.

The Tamil Nadu Tamil learning Act (2006) made Tamil a compulsory language to be taught in schools starting from 2006-07 academic year. And students who joined class 1 in 2006 academic year had to take up Tamil as a mandatory subject. Schools, which failed to follow the norm, have put the students at risk now. On condition of anonymity, a senior school education department official told DC that it was a gross violation by schools, which have not taught Tamil as main language. “The government had informed them and asked them to send the declaration form. We have copies of several schools who have signed the forms,” said the official.

Speaking to DC, S. Arumainathan, state president, Tamil Nadu students parents welfare association, said, “The private schools have approached the high court only to save themselves from parents.

The schools cannot claim to be ignorant of the Act. They have given in writing that they would oblige the norm laid by the government. It is now the responsibility of schools to answer the parents.”

He added that these schools are worried about answering the parents as the students who studied other languages would not be allowed to take class 10 exams in the next academic year, 2015-16.

Sukumar Jaisingh, member of the Association of Matriculation Schools and Managements in TN and Pudhucherry, the association which moved the court against teaching Tamil as compulsory language,  said, "We are not against teaching Tamil. But considering the inconvenience of students we are forced to teach the language, which they are comfortable with. Moeover, we did not receive any letter from the school education department in 2006 making  Tamil a compulsory language."