Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 8 : Tamil Nadu Education Minister Anbil Mahesh on Friday lauded the State Education Policy (SEP) and taking a jibe at AIADMK over the three-language police, he said that they will give a "red carpet" to the Centre.
As the Tamil Nadu government brought in a two-language policy under the SEP, discarding the Centre's three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP), Anbil Mahesh said, "Suppose AIADMK government comes to power, do you think they will talk about the three-language or two-language policy. They will give a red carpet to the Union government."
Comparing the two education policies, Mahesh stated that apart from the two-language policy, students from classes 1 to 8 would not have to reappear if they fail in the examinations, unlike in the NEP.
"If you consider between NEP and SEP, they want to implement the three-language policy, which we are not ready to implement. The Chief Minister has said that we will follow the two-language policy. Apart from that, in NEP, they are talking about public examinations for students in classes 3, 5 and 8. If they do not pass, a one-month time is given (to reappear). That we are not following here because under the RTE Act, classes 1 to 8 all pass," he told the reporters.
He claimed that under the three-language policy, students in Tamil Nadu would have failed in Hindi and Sanskrit.
"If students are going to fail in Hindi or Sanskrit, the whole result will show failed for them, so it will affect students' future. Even a Union Minister said, 'I come from a non-Hindi state, but why can't you learn?' Maybe that was the direction from his boss," Mahesh said.
Lauding the Tamil Nadu SEP, he said that the government did not borrow a template from any state or country.
He said, "We did not borrow a template from any state or country; this is our own. We have framed the SEP according to the things needed in our state. In the SEP, we have included futuristic programmes which talk about artificial intelligence. The integration of Kalvi TV and Manarkeni App. Each household will be considered as a classroom."
"We are asking for our rights. The RTE Act is based on recommendations from the Supreme Court. They are playing politics in education, that is a very sad part," Anbil Mahesh told reporters.
Earlier today, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the State Education Policy (SEP) has been curated while keeping in mind the "unique character" of the state and announced that the state will only follow a two-language policy.
"Through this education policy, we don't want students just to mug up, but think and get educated. Physical education will be taught along with studies. Importantly, I want to say firmly that we will follow two two-language policy and it is our firm policy," Stalin said while addressing the gathering at Anna Centenary Library Auditorium.
The Chief Minister informed that smart classes will be introduced under the newly released SEP.
"We are going to make a change in education, our aim is to educate all. Nobody should be left out," Stalin said while emphasising the need to teach rational thought in education.
CM MK Stalin released the SEP on Friday at the Anna Centenary Library Auditorium in Kotturpuram, Chennai.
The SEP was drafted by a committee set up by the state government and chaired by retired High Court Judge Justice D Murugesan, who submitted the report in 2024. The policy has since been awaiting release and implementation.
The move comes after months of protests against the National Education Policy (NEP) promoted by the Centre. The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has consistently opposed the NEP, calling it "against social justice" and an attempt to impose Hindi on the state. Tamil Nadu has refused to implement the NEP.