A Rajmohan
As for Union govt funding, around `5,000 crore is now pending. DMK announced a higher figure before the election but left a substantial amount unspent. You have spoken about children’s mental health and announced the ‘Thunai’ programme.
Supreme Court recently said Tamil Nadu should change its mindset on Hindi and identify land for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in every district. What is the govt’s stand? There has been no budget cut. We have allocated more than what they spent and will spend it effectively. What prompted it, and how will it work?
Whatever JNVs promise, our model schools already provide across all 38 districts. We will discuss what is practically possible and work to get the funds released.
I have told the curriculum committee not to use terms such as ‘average student’ or even ‘slow learner’. We will continue to defend our position through legal means as we are firm on the two-language policy. Tamil Nadu is not against Hindi or any language; we oppose imposition. A child from Usilampatti, Perambalur or Chengalpet who has studied only Tamil and English till Class V cannot suddenly be burdened with Hindi examinations from Class VI in JNVs. Many model school students have entered prestigious higher education institutions through the two-language policy. Navodaya may look beneficial on the surface. But in practice, it gives an advantage to children who already have access to the required language, while others may be left behind. Funding is crucial to these plans. The state school education budget appears to show a marginal reduction, while the Union govt has withheld Samagra Shiksha funds over policy differences. How will you bridge the gap? We will soon go to Delhi for talks. There are about five points of difference, with language policy being the major one. I am pushing a child-centric approach. A child should be happy while learning; education cannot be only about results. Every child learns at a different pace and has different strengths. We are also making learning less intimidating, including the programme ‘Mathematics through stories’ at the primary level. The idea is to teach concepts through familiar stories and experiences children remember.