If T.N. State Board is successful, why are children of DMK leaders studying in private schools: Annamalai

BJP Tamil Nadu president questions Tamil Nadu education system, highlighting disparities in language learning between private schools run by DMK and public schools run by TN government.

BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai on Wednesday (March 12, 2025) questioned if the Tamil Nadu State Board education system has been tried, tested and proven successful over decades, why are the wards of DMK MLAs and MPs studying in private schools.

Responding to School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on X, Mr. Annamalai said “The Education Minister conveniently subsumed the Matriculation schools in Tamil Nadu as the State Board. There are 4,498 Matriculation schools in Tamil Nadu, with over 30 lakh students. These private Matriculation schools allow students to learn a third language until class 8.”

According to him, the Matriculation schools have a unique curriculum till class 10 and only follow the Tamil Nadu State Board curriculum in classes 11 and 12. He said 45 lakh students are studying in CBSE and Matriculation schools in the State and are learning three languages. “By this, it is understood that 50% of the students in Tamil Nadu are given an opportunity to learn three languages, but the other 50% are compelled to learn only two languages. Why this hypocrisy? In Matriculation schools run by the DMK [members], Tamil is not a compulsory language but only an optional language. Why this double standard?”

He said the DMK should understand and rise above politics. “This is not the 1960s. With changing times, our policies also need to evolve. You cannot have one set of rules for your family and another set of rules for the deprived. We will continue to expose your hypocrisy.”