School Education in a Mess?

Uniform syllabus for school education from the first standard to tenth standard was a noble thought partially implemented by the previous D.M.K government and rightly supported by the state high court on the understanding that the students of Tamil Nadu will have the same syllabus in whichever school they study. The only problem the successor government and others feel is that some of the text books are reported to have study materials meant to commemorate actions and writings of some individuals on the basis of political powers they were enjoying at that time. The mistake lies with some of the so-called educationists who tried to flatter the powers-that-be at the cost of transparency and impartiality in the overall interest of the student community. The best course could have been to leave the entire exercise to the independent judgment of the genuine educationists. But it is easier said than done when the whole society has been politicised so much by now.

The matter had to reach the court of law - both to the high court and the supreme court. The result is that the schools had reopened late already by two weeks and also without text books for the teachers to teach and the children to read. The text books for the First standard and the Sixth standard too are not ready perhaps due to the confusion created in the meanwhile. Similarly the other classes will have the syllabus decided by the expert committee headed by the chief scretary in two weeks and endorsed by the high cort in the third week. That means the text books for other classes will not be ready by another 4-5 weeks. Well, this is the outcome of our commissions and omissions by the concerned authorities. Some intelligent guess by the DMK governemnt could have avoided the whole episode and the pathetic plight of the students, the teachers and the parents.

Another pitiable episode is with regard to the entrance fees and donations collected by the school authorities from the parents. The tug of war is still going on between the parents, school managements and the government. What a mess we have created? Is it due democracy or mockery of the system contributed in the process by everyone in the state?