Madras High Court directive to Tamil Nadu government on state education panels
Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the state government not to make any changes in the named members of the Curriculum Framework Committee and High Level Committee, including the secretary, school education department and other bureaucrats or disturb their functioning, in any manner.
The two committees were constituted by the state government to review the school curriculum to revise the syllabus and enhance the standard of education.
Justice N. Kirubakaran gave the directive on a petition from V. Ramalingam of Kancheepuram district which sought to direct the state government to continue the effective functioning of the Curriculum Framework Committee and High Level Committee with the existing members and without causing any disturbance like transfer of bureaucrats involved in the functioning of the said committees.
The judge said in view of the advent of Neet, the necessity to review the curriculum has become imminent as the syllabus has not been revised for more than 10 years and the students were facing a lot of hurdles in pursuing their higher education. Therefore, the government has taken the right step to constitute two committees, namely 10 member Curriculum Framework Committee and 13-member High Level Committee. The committees comprises of eminent educationalists and bureaucrats, the judge added.
The judge said as the committees have already started functioning and have to file reports at the earliest, to enhance the standard of education in consonance with the international standards in the advanced era of technology, in the interest of students, the government shall not either make any changes in the named committee members including the Secretary, School Education Department and other bureaucrats or disturb their functioning, in any manner. At the request of Additional advocate general C. Manishankar, call the matter on August 23. “The Secretary, School Education Department is directed to file an affidavit as to what are the steps taken by him to enhance the quality of education to take on all India competition, by then”, the judge added.
