COIMBATORE: Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam on Sunday wrote to the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, demanding the implementation of Tamil as the medium of instruction and a compulsory language subject in the Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) in Tamil Nadu.
In the letter, he pointed out that, in accordance with Section 29(2)(f) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and the National Education Policy (NEP), Tamil must be made the medium of instruction in KVs.
For instance, at the Kendriya Vidyalaya located in Sowripalayam in Coimbatore, English and Hindi are the media of instruction. Sanskrit is taught as a compulsory language subject for Classes 6, 7, and 8, with recognised examinations. In Classes 9 and 10, the language options are limited to English, Hindi, or Sanskrit. Tamil will be taught as a fourth language only if requested by a specified number of students.
However, for students already burdened with three compulsory languages, studying a fourth language is an extreme hardship. Consequently, most students are unable to utilise this option.
There are no permanent Tamil teachers in KV schools, and even temporary positions often remain vacant. With no mandatory exam for Tamil - and students already burdened with three other languages - they are unable to gain even basic knowledge of their mother tongue. This "fourth language" option is merely eyewash.
Students can currently complete their schooling up to Class 12 in these institutions without ever learning Tamil. The situation in which a student can graduate from a school in Tamil Nadu without studying the native language Tamil violates fundamental rights.
"If teaching Sanskrit is 'practically feasible' in Tamil Nadu's Kendriya Vidyalayas, then teaching Tamil is certainly feasible," he said in the letter.
The letter also cited data on Transfer Certificates (TCs) issued due to parental transfers at KV Sowripalayam, Coimbatore, to suggest that a majority of students who continue studies there cannot study Tamil.
The school website shows the percentage of students leaving due to transfers is at most 7% in the last two academic years: 6.5% in AY 2025-26 (April to January) and 6.2% in AY 2024-25 (full year)
"It is unacceptable to deny the remaining 93% the opportunity to study their mother tongue for the sake of the 7% who move out," the letter pointed out.