Govt should clear stand on language policy, says Madras HC

MADURAI: A definite stand reflecting the state government’s policy on the two-language formula should be informed to the Madras high court since the chief minister recently stated that the government would continue to adopt only two-language formula in the backdrop of the New Education Policy (NEP) recently announced by the central government.
The court was hearing a batch of appeals with regard to the redeployment of surplus teachers at schools.
A division bench of justice M Sathyanarayanan and justice R Suresh Kumar observed that if it is the stand of the state to have two-language formula, the court wants a definite commitment by way of a sworn affidavit to be filed either by the chief secretary or by the secretary of the school education department to that effect as to whether the two languages are Tamil and any other language or Tamil and English alone.
“If Tamil and English alone are the languages to be taught in schools in the state, will the medium of instruction to be adopted is also by either Tamil or English?” the judges asked.
The judges also asked whether the state government has got any reservation to release the grant-in aid to aided schools that shift over their medium of instruction from Tamil to English or both Tamil and English having the ratio of 50:50 or in other ratio.
“Whether the government has taken any policy decision to have a complete and comprehensive legislation to deal with private schools (minority and non-minority) (aided or unaided) by which not only the academic and administrative matters, but also service issues/disputes can also be effectively administered and redressed,” the judges asked.
Except the Tamil Nadu Private School Regulations Act, 1973 and the Rules, no other legislation is available so far to deal with such issues. All these issues are dealt with and administered only by GOs and administrative instructions issued from time to time, they observed.
Instead of having such kind of GOs/ instructions regime, why cannot the government think of having a comprehensive legislation to administer these issues pertaining to private schools and if so, what is the proposal to have such legislation and the time limit within which such legislation can be brought in, can also be spelt out by the government, said the judges.
The case was adjourned to August 20.