Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin (X.com)
Chennai: The State Education Policy (SEP) submitted to the Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday recommends that the State Government take appropriate measures to ensure that the subject ‘Education’ is brought back in List II (State List) of Schedule 7 of the Constitution of India and that Tamil was made the medium of instruction in schools and colleges.
The report, prepared by the Justice (Retired) D Murugesan Committee, has recommendations even for the running of institutions starting from the Mother –Child Care Centres and Child Development Centres and going up to institutions of higher education, including technical institutions, and it lays emphasis on Tamil Medium education right from there.
Completion of three years by 31t July of an academic year is the age for admission in Child Development Centres and in pre-schools run by private managements, the report makes it clear.
Focus needs to be primarily on “Spoken Tamil” in addition to “Spoken English”, says the report that stresses on formal schooling beginning only at Class 1 on completion of 5 years as on 31st July of the academic year. ‘The stages of school are to be understood as 5+3+2+2, forming respectively, the primary stage, the upper primary stage, secondary stage and higher secondary stage,’ says the report.
It recommends that the curriculum engages with structures of inequality in society, and works towards equality and addresses caste, the evil in our society, to achieve the social goal of annihilation of caste.
Laying emphasis on active learning, hands-on experience, and opportunities for learner engagement in positive actions and learner-led initiatives in addressing concerns in their immediate ecosystem, the report wants a shift in assessment models from rote learning and turn the light on conceptual understanding.
It recommends open book assessments and the provision of information sheets with data, formula and such things even in closed book assessments and has a plethora of suggestions to prepare teachers for the new system.
Insisting on examinations only at Class 10 level, it recommends the integration of art education with school learning from the primary classes and also physical education from the primary school, making it mandatory for schools to have playgrounds and appoint physical education teachers.
Building a reading culture among students as well as teachers, establishment of career cells in schools, providing infrastructure in schools to accommodate the needs of children with disability and designing of curriculum for progressive inclusion of gender equality are also recommended.
The report focuses on addressing the needs of students from specific areas like coastal region and hills with a view of reducing dropout rates and also giving special attention in enrolment and retention of children belonging to minority communities and taking remedial measures to curtail dropout rate among the minority students.
Besides suggesting the providing of spaces that can identify, harness and embrace gender diverse children and make sure education continues to be the hope for life, it wants to instil sensitivity in teachers’ workshops and training to be provided.
The report also addresses the needs of children of refugees, of migrant labour and from other States, besides the urban poor, children with no parents and says that the school syllabus should include all information on substance abuse.
Talking elaborately on the need for school infrastructure, the report recommends the prioritization of toilets of high and higher secondary schools for the availability of water, napkin usage, incinerator and disposal.
The report, prepared by the Justice (Retired) D Murugesan Committee, has recommendations even for the running of institutions starting from the Mother –Child Care Centres and Child Development Centres and going up to institutions of higher education, including technical institutions, and it lays emphasis on Tamil Medium education right from there.
Completion of three years by 31t July of an academic year is the age for admission in Child Development Centres and in pre-schools run by private managements, the report makes it clear.
Focus needs to be primarily on “Spoken Tamil” in addition to “Spoken English”, says the report that stresses on formal schooling beginning only at Class 1 on completion of 5 years as on 31st July of the academic year. ‘The stages of school are to be understood as 5+3+2+2, forming respectively, the primary stage, the upper primary stage, secondary stage and higher secondary stage,’ says the report.
It recommends that the curriculum engages with structures of inequality in society, and works towards equality and addresses caste, the evil in our society, to achieve the social goal of annihilation of caste.
Laying emphasis on active learning, hands-on experience, and opportunities for learner engagement in positive actions and learner-led initiatives in addressing concerns in their immediate ecosystem, the report wants a shift in assessment models from rote learning and turn the light on conceptual understanding.
It recommends open book assessments and the provision of information sheets with data, formula and such things even in closed book assessments and has a plethora of suggestions to prepare teachers for the new system.
Insisting on examinations only at Class 10 level, it recommends the integration of art education with school learning from the primary classes and also physical education from the primary school, making it mandatory for schools to have playgrounds and appoint physical education teachers.
Building a reading culture among students as well as teachers, establishment of career cells in schools, providing infrastructure in schools to accommodate the needs of children with disability and designing of curriculum for progressive inclusion of gender equality are also recommended.
The report focuses on addressing the needs of students from specific areas like coastal region and hills with a view of reducing dropout rates and also giving special attention in enrolment and retention of children belonging to minority communities and taking remedial measures to curtail dropout rate among the minority students.
Besides suggesting the providing of spaces that can identify, harness and embrace gender diverse children and make sure education continues to be the hope for life, it wants to instil sensitivity in teachers’ workshops and training to be provided.
The report also addresses the needs of children of refugees, of migrant labour and from other States, besides the urban poor, children with no parents and says that the school syllabus should include all information on substance abuse.
Talking elaborately on the need for school infrastructure, the report recommends the prioritization of toilets of high and higher secondary schools for the availability of water, napkin usage, incinerator and disposal.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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