Madras HC's 20 queries on education quality decline in TN govt

Taking note of the decline in education quality and student strength in government schools, the Madras High Court today posed 20 queries to the education department, among which were the class X pass percentage in such schools and private institutions in the last 10 years.

The queries are answerable by July 14.

Some questions the court posed were why the government cannot prohibit teachers from starting unions or associations as erring teachers reportedly use them to prevent action against them, "especially when education is a fundamental right and the future of the students are shaped by the teachers."

Why could the government not involve voluntary organisations, NGO's and private players in running/managing/ administering such schools in rural areas without compromising the status as government schools, in an effort to improve the quality of education in rural areas, the court asked.

These were among the questions posed to the department by Justice N Kirubakaran when a petition by Pasupathy aided middle school at Pandanallur in Thanjavur district, challenging the rejection order by the department to start English medium sections, came up before him.

The judge said that without appointing proper, well- trained English teachers, imparting English to the students would not be achieved. The fact that government teachers were admitting their wards in private schools showed the high standards in private schools, "which the teachers themselves fail to give to their own students in government schools".

He said many secondary grade teachers in government schools are stated to have purchased diplomas in 'letter pad teacher training institutions', prohibited by the court.

The petitioner contended that when similarly placed government schools are permitted to start English medium sections, government aided private schools are subject to discrimination by not being permitted to do so.

Though government schools start English medium sections, both English medium and Tamil medium students are made to sit together in class and taught by the same teacher who teaches Tamil medium students, the petitioner said.

The June 14 2016 government order permitted English medium sections to be started in government schools, only to improve the English knowledge of students in schools in rural areas.

Flaying the teaching community, the judge said it was common knowledge that many teachers in government schools and government aided schools,especially in rural areas, are into other business in the name of family members like real estate, finance and share marketing without concentrating on teaching.

He observed that government school teachers are paid higher than their private school counterparts, who have to put in more hours of teaching, but that the quality and standard of education in Government schools is low. This was the main reason why parents preferred private schools.

The judge sought to know how many schools were allowed to start English medium sections, how many students study in such sections in Tamil Nadu, with details from 2012-13, whether the same teachers teaching Tamil medium students were also taking classes for the English medium.

He sought a response on whether teachers well trained to teach English medium students were appointed to teach English medium sections and if so,how many were appointed so far,their qualifications and if the teachers are continuously trained to match the changed scenario in education and teaching.

The judge then posted the matter to July 14 with a direction to the education department to file their response by that date.

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