VILLUPURAM: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday evening inaugurated Illam Thedi Kalvi programme in a function held at Murthykuppam near Marakanam here. “This programme (Illam Thedi Kalvi) will shine the light of letters on lakhs of students and will last for a hundred years; it’s a foundation stone for a renaissance in education,” he said addressing a gathering. “Education, which was refused to the people for hundreds of years, was taken to them through the Thinnai Education by the Dravidian movement,” he added.
On the objectives of the programme, the chief minister said studies of children were severely affected during the pandemic as they could not attend schools. It changed learning methods and reduced their interest towards studies. “It was to counter this issue that the education department officials came up with Illam Thedi Kalvi,” he said. Under the programme, he said, a place would be selected near the residences of students. Teachers would go to these locations and take classes for 1-2 hours in the evenings.
“During the pandemic, online classes were held, but online classes don’t benefit students like direct classes do; that’s the truth and Covid is the only reason for it,” he said adding that teachers should treat children returning to schools kindly and teach them politely. Students should focus on studies and make up for the time lost during the pandemic.”
“We can’t bring students back to their previous status only through school hours; additional training is needed. Volunteers and NGOs are joining hands with teachers for this. This programme will extend classrooms outside schools and serve as a pathfinder for other States. Students lacking in facilities at homes will benefit by this programme. This government welcomes retired teachers to share their experience and knowledge. Youth can also spend their free time teaching,” he said.
“The Justice Party introduced the free noon-meal scheme and the late former chief ministers Kamarajar, MGR, and Kalaingar developed it. Illam Thedi Kalvi is one such programme,” Stalin said and thanked the school education minister and the department officials for coming up with the initiative. “Today I am more happy; my close friend Anbil Poyyamozhi would have been as happy had he been alive as his son (Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi) is serving the State as the school education minister,” he said.
Assn flags ‘practical difficulties’
Coimbatore: Tamil Nadu High and Higher Secondary Graduate Teacher Association on Wednesday appealed to the State government to withdraw the Illam Thedi Kalvi scheme stating there were practical difficulties for students. A petition was submitted to school education commissioner K Nandakumar in this regard.