Tamil Nadu rejects three-language formula in New Education Policy

Rejecting the three-language formula proposed in the National Educational Policy (NEP) by the Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Monday that the AIADMK government would “not allow the three-language policy ever but would continue to implement the two-language policy” in the State.

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Monday rejected the centre's three-language formula proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and said there will not be any deviation from the two-language policy being followed in the state.

Taking strong exception to the proposal for the three-language formula in the NEP, Chief Minister K Palaniswami who chaired a Cabinet meeting at the Secretariat
here, said the state has been following the two-language policy for several decades and there will be no change in it.

"Tamil Nadu will never allow the Centre's three-language policy. The state will continue with its dual language policy (of Tamil and English)," the chief minister
said.

"The three-language formula in the NEP is painful and saddening. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) should reconsider the three-language policy," he said, adding the Centre should allow the states to implement their own policy on the subject.

Palaniswami said there will be no change to the two-language formula which the state had adopted decades ago.

Teaching up to class 5 in mother tongue or regional language and lowering the stakes of board exams are part of the sweeping reforms in the new NEP unveiled last week.

This came days after NEP, approved by the union cabinet, reflected sweeping reforms in school and higher education including teaching up to at least Grade 5 in "mother tongue or regional language" and a new 5+3+3+4 school curriculum with 12 years of schooling and three years of Anganwadi or pre-schooling.

The policy calls for assessment reforms with 360-degree holistic progress card, tracking student progress for achieving learning outcomes and emphasises the creation of an academic bank of credits to facilitate the transfer of credits.

PTI