NEP will cause Tamil Nadu school dropout rate to spike, says Ponmudy

VILLUPURAM: The National Education Policy will not be implemented in Tamil Nadu because it would cause children as young as eight years old to drop out of school, said Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy.

“The State government sent a recommendation to the Centre about changes that need to be brought in the policy. But that was rejected by the ministry,” he said. The minister was to press after the graduation ceremony of Anna University’s constituent colleges, from Arni, Kancheepuram, Panruti, and Tindivanam, in Villupuram on Friday.

According to Ponmudy, “the culture of ancestral occupations was uprooted by decades of work by several social reformists and politicians in the State. But the BJP government is trying to hideously bring it back through the NEP.” This will would force children of a hair stylist or cobbler to do the same work, he added. 

Speaking to the students in the ceremony, the minister said, “It is happy to see girl students overtake boys in number and performance. There was a time when we used to have only one girl in colleges or schools but over the years the situation has improved, thanks to social reformer Thanthai Periyar (EV Ramasamy) and socially-conscious chief ministers Aringar Anna and Kalaingar Karunanidhi.” He added it is with the same spirit the present government led by CM MK Stalin is resolved to not implement the vile NEP, to prevent early dropouts in school.

Speaking about Hindi imposition, Ponmudy said, “The three-language policy cannot be accepted because when Tamil and English is more than enough for people to survive in our country and abroad. What brings the need for Hindi? Those who want it can learn out of their interest but it can not be forced.”