Alternative education policy released for discussion across Tamil Nadu
Chennai: Free education for children up to 18 years of age, no board exams for classes 12 and 10 and a suggestion to provide school education only in neighbourhood common schools, introducing KG sections in government schools are some of the recommendations found in the alternative education policy drafted by the educationists from across the state.
Kerala’s former education minister M.A. Baby released the “People’s Charter of Alternative Policy on Education” here on Saturday. Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has recently released the 43-page draft new education policy. Educationists alleged many aspects including the alternate education for academically weak children will put children from socially and economically poor sections at disadvantage.
Federation for Protection of Right to Education which consist of more than 40 teachers and students’ organisations have formed an expert committee to prepare alternate education policy to the MHRD’s draft policy.
The committee headed by former Vice-Chancellor V. Vasanthidevi has prepared this alternative policy. The policy also batted for semester system in class 11 and 12. It also asked the government to stop privatisation in school education and suggested that only free schools in private sector should be allowed to run.
Calling this policy a unique democratic exercise, Mr Baby said, "I hope this charter is widely discussed in Tamil Nadu. I will take this charter to ministers of education in Kerala and Tripura."
He also said the corporate sector is showing interest in the education sector as individual family's expenditure for the same has increased. "We have failed to give common school education for all students. If we look at other developed countries, their students are studying in neighbourhood common schools fully funded by governments. But the draft new education policy is trying to commercialise and privatise the education," said Vasanthidevi.
"Education policy should be drafted in a way that it should enable students from all social and economic backgrounds studying in the same school and it will bring an end to the social inequalities," she said.
Professor N.Mani, convener, Federation for Protection of Right to Education said, "The draft alternative policy will be widely discussed among all stakeholders. After that, we will release the final alternate education policy in November."
Professors R.Ramanujam, Venkatesh Athreya and educationist V. Balasubramanian from Andhra Pradesh and representatives of teachers and students associations also participated.
