Madurai
A public interest litigation petition was filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday seeking to extend the benefits of English medium classes in government schools to private aided schools also.
The petitioner, I. T. Kanagaraj, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Private School Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff Association, also sought a direction to permit all private aided schools to start two sections of English medium classes.
He said that the State government had introduced various welfare schemes for students, because of which the strength of students attending government schools gradually increased. English was also introduced as a medium of instruction for the benefit of poor students, he said.
If English medium education was extended to private aided schools also, it would benefit poor students. He claimed that this would increase the strength of students attending private aided schools and would also solve the problem of redeployment of teachers. Parents were willing to send their wards to English medium schools, he claimed.
He sought the introduction of English medium classes in aided schools from 2018-19.
A division bench of Justices C. T. Selvam and R. Tharani directed notice to the School Education department and posted the case for further hearing.