CHENNAI: Teaching of Tamil in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) across the state has seen a marginal increase, at least on paper, following stringent criticisms by the MPs after it was revealed that KVs in TN did not have a single permanent Tamil teacher.
As per the reply submitted in the Lok Sabha on Monday, to a question by DMK MP Kalanidhi Veerasamy, Tamil is now taught through the Tamil Virtual Academy (TVA), an autonomous body under the state government, in 40 of the 46 KVs in the state.
In March, to a question by DMK MP and the party’s parliamentary chairperson Kanimozhi, the centre had said only 21 of the 46 schools had this facility. The reply had led to widespread criticism as it showed that KVs in TN had 86 permanent teachers for Hindi and 65 for Sanskrit.
The reply to Veerasamy also showed 31 of the 46 schools now engage teachers on a contractual basis to teach Tamil. The number was only 24 in the reply provided to Kanimozhi in March.
Reiterating its stance, the Ministry of Education, in its reply, presented on Monday said KVs primarily cater to children of “transferable central government employees from diverse linguistic backgrounds”. Therefore the medium of instruction used in these schools is Hindi and English. As ‘specified category’ schools, KVs are mandated to provide uniform education nationwide, with sanctioned language teaching posts only for Hindi, English and Sanskrit.
However, the reply provided by Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said Article 112 of the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan’s Education Code permitted teaching of regional languages if 15 or more students in classes 6 to 8 opt for them. In such cases, part-time contractual teachers can be engaged, the reply said.