Tamil has been recognised as the second language in two states of the USA, said Porchezhian Ramasamy, secretary of American Tamil Academy (ATA) and one of the life members of Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA).
He said there were 45 schools in US which are affiliated to the ATA where around 5,000 students were studying Tamil on weekends. “The ATA is helping the schools to get recognition for Tamil as a second language from the local educational districts in various states of the USA,” he said.
“We at ATA have designed Tamil books suited for the cultural milieu of the United States. Though we are conducting examinations at the end of the course and giving away certificates, the students are also taking courses in the Tamil Virtual Academy,” he added.
Saying that minds are nurtured by education in their mother tongue, he expressed anguish over the recent efforts to undermine Tamil as a medium of instruction in the schools of Tamil Nadu.