Despite DMK government allocating Rs 1,500 crore less for school education expenses compared to the previous year, State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan, who presented the State budget in the Assembly on Friday, claimed that his government is determined to ensure that Tamil Nadu is brought within the first three States in terms of learning outcomes in India.
Chennai:
For this academic year, the Tamil Nadu government has earmarked Rs 32,599.54 crore for school education compared to the 2020-2021 allocation of Rs 34,181.73 crore, a deficit of Rs 1,582.19. However, for higher education, the government has allocated additional Rs 300 crore this year compared to 2020-2021.
Accordingly, this year's budget allocation for higher education was Rs 5,369.09 crore, an additional amount of Rs 316.25 crore compared to the previous year's earmarking of Rs 5,052.84 crore.
On the development of school education in the State, the finance minister said all teachers will be able to receive technology-enabled monitorable and evidence-based training through the 40 tablets to be supplied to each of the 413 Blocks at a total cost of Rs 13.22 crore.
"The Ennum Ezhuthum Mission to ensure foundational literacy and numeracy will be implemented to ensure that by 2025 all students in Tamil Nadu by age 8 are able to read with comprehension and possess basic arithmetic skills", he said adding "a provision of Rs.66.70 crore is made for this purpose".
Pointing out that the immediate priority of the present government was to minimize the learning losses to students due to the pandemic, he said "all teachers have been trained in the necessary Covid protocols and will be vaccinated so that schools can reopen and function at the earliest".
"A comprehensive plan for remedial education both within and outside the school hours and school premises will be launched to address learning losses", he added.
Higher Education
Stating that this year ten new government Arts and Science Colleges will be commenced, the minister said "to further enhance quality, the Government will enable more institutions to obtain accreditation under the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)".
"A Learning Management System integrated with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software will be established for all Higher Education Institutions in Tamil Nadu for which a Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be prepared", he said "smart classrooms will be provided in 25 government Polytechnic colleges at a cost of Rs.10 crore.
He said the decision to make Raja Muthiah Medical College as the Government Medical College for Cuddalore district and Annamalai University an affiliating university for Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, and Mayiladuthurai districts will ease the financial crisis of Annamalai University and better serve the people.
"In a unique and pioneering initiative, the government will establish the Tamil Nadu Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Corporation in partnership with Madras Institute of Technology and Anna University", he said.
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