Why in News?
National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020)The center has withheld Tamil Nadu’s share of Samagra Shiksha amounting to ₹2,152 crore for not implementing the National Education Policy (NEP 2020).
Duties: This is called coercive States into agreeing to national policies which do not sit well with cooperative federalism.
About
Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan serves as an all-encompassing school education program offering assistance to the States from preschool to senior secondary education. In India, this scheme has been launched through the Ministry of Human Resource Development, with the Department of School Education and Literacy being responsible for the administration.
The thrust is to improve the quality of education in schools. This scheme represents a paradigm shift in the conceptual frame of reference for school education treating ‘school’ holistically for all levels from preschool, primary, and upper primary, and right up to the senior secondary levels. It is envisioned that the larger objective of actualizing better school effectiveness in terms of equal opportunities for schooling and equitable outcomes of learning will govern its drawing-up processes.
Effects on the Education System of Tamil Nadu
- Affects
- Almost 40 lakh students and 32,000 staff members will suffer due to this funding loss.
- Straining Education Infrastructure
- Schools are faced with enormous financial strains, perhaps jeopardizing the access to quality education itself.
Language Policy Controversy
- Three Language Imposition
- Union Education Minister now urging Tamil Nadu to adopt the three languages formula (Tamil, English and a third language).
- Tamil Nadu’s Opposition
- Historically, this state has opposed such a system since 1937, following a two language policy (Tamil and English) since 1968.
Political Fallout & Constitutional Debate
- Centre Accusation
- The Union Minister accused the Tamil Nadu leadership of being politically motivated and not abiding with the “rule of law.”
Proposed Solutions & Issues on Federalism
- A Decentralized Approach Needed
- Policies need to be framed flexibly to coordinate with the regional diversity as provided in the Concurrent List.
- The Funds Should Be Delinked from NEP
- Such a realistic measure would be tying funds to performance indicators, not policy adoption.
- Alternative in State Education Policy
- Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu must hasten the rollout of its very own State Education Policy, thus making its educational framework stable in time.
