CHENNAI: In a categorical assertion, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday said that the State government would act in accordance with the order of the Supreme Court on the issue of Uniform System of Education.
The Chief Minister’s announcement came after the Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on the validity of the amendment brought by the AIADMK government to defer implementation of the Tamil Nadu Uniform System of School Education (Amendment) Act, 2011. The apex court had also extended the deadline for distribution of the Samacheer Kalvi syllabus text books to August 10.
Intervening in the address of CPI legislator S Gunasekaran on the budget debate in the Assembly, Jayalalithaa said the State was awaiting the SC order on the issue. “We have gone to the Supreme Court. We are expecting that the order may be out even today. As soon as we get it, the State government would act accordingly.”
Earlier, Gunasekaran said there could not be any second opinion on the government’s policy that the
standard of the uniform system of education should be upgraded. “I, however, appeal that the USE be implemented from this year. In future, the syllabus could be restructured.”
The concept of equity should not be confined to syllabus alone. It should reflect in other aspects, including the standards of classrooms, labs and the teacher to student ratio, he said. “The people want quality education for their children.”
In response, Jayalalithaa stressed that the State government does not have any difference of opinion with the views of the member and assured that government would follow the orders of the court on the issue.
The AIADMK government had approached the Supreme Court after the Madras High Court quashed the amendment brought by it to defer the implementation of Samacheer Kalvi, pointing out that the textbooks allegedly promoted the interests of the DMK, which headed the previous government in the state, and whose pet scheme Samacheer Kalvi was.