Centre “subtly” reiterates that Tamil Nadu adopt National Education Policy

Centre subtly urges Tamil Nadu to adopt NEP 2020 for funds release under Samagra Shiksha scheme.

The Centre has reiterated its position, rather subtly,  to the Tamil Nadu government that it should adopt the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. 

A communication to this effect was received from the Union Ministry of Education a few days ago. It was in response to the State’s request for the release of funds — approximately ₹ 750 crore initially — under the Samagra Shiksha scheme.   State officials observe that there has been no overt message from the Centre, linking the NEP implementation to the release of funds under Samagra Shiksha, but it has informally been made clear to them what the State should do. 

The Samagra Shiksha’s aim is to universalise access to school education; promote equity through the inclusion of disadvantaged groups and weaker sections; and improve the quality of education across all levels of school education from pre-primary to Class XII. For the current year, the Central government’s share has been fixed at about ₹2,152 crore and the State’s share around ₹1,434 crore.  Essentially, funds under the scheme meet the salary bill of elementary and secondary education teachers in the State. 

The communication has advised the State to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, as originally envisaged.  This, in turn,  means that the State has to implement, to quote the proforma MoU, “all the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP)–2020 in entirety within the entire State” as the main objective is to showcase the implementation of NEP through the PM SHRI schools. The number of these schools is expected to be more than 14,500  in a couple of years all over the country, with more than 20 lakh students.  The idea is, according to the Centre, to ensure that the proposed schools emerge as “exemplar schools” over a period of time and offer leadership to other schools in the neighbourhood. 

But the State’s position is that while it favours taking part in PM SHRI (in respect of which the State expressed its willingness in March), it is not for linking the scheme with the NEP.  There are “three strong reasons” for the State’s inability to follow the NEP in its entirety — language formula, entry age for students, and the level of introduction of  vocational education.  The three language formula, above the age of three for the entry with the pedagogic structure of  5+3+3+4 and Class VI for vocational education are among the features of the NEP. But the State is for the two language formula, five years as the entry age with 5+3+2+2, and Class XI for vocational education. 

However, the Centre’s stand is that even Samagra Shiksha has been redesigned and aligned with the NEP, whose 86 recommendations have been incorporated in the scheme.