CHENNAI: The DMK government, which strongly opposed the Union government’s National Education Policy (NEP), recently said it would constitute an expert panel to formulate a distinct State Education Policy (SEP). But academicians and activists are concerned as no further steps have been taken since the State government made its announcement almost a month ago. The expert committee hasn’t been formed yet, and if the government sincerely intends to bring out an SEP, the entire process must be expedited, they opine.
“The National Education Policy is almost a year old, and the Central government is implementing it aggressively in bits and pieces by sending circulars to universities to follow blended learning, and by pushing four-year undergraduate courses. If the State needs to counter it, it must work on the State Education Policy on a war footing,” said education activist Prince Gajendra Babu.
Babu has written to the State Higher Education minister in this regard, highlighting that chalking out and implementing a holistic SEP won’t be a cakewalk, and hence, the State government should act swiftly and effectively. Other experts feel an SEP would only create confusion. “The State may differ with some points in the National Education Policy, but opposing it in total and bringing out a State Education Policy to counter it is not wise.
Though the State won’t implement the National Education Policy, universities come under the UGC and engineering institutes follow AICTE norms, and these agencies will follow the National Education Policy. So, vice chancellors of State universities will be in a difficult situation and will be at loggerheads with Central agencies, which is not good for the education sector,” said Association of Indian Universities president G Thiruvasagam.
He added that implementation of the State Education Policy will have serious implications on the funding Central agencies provide to institutes in the State. “These institutes won’t qualify to receive funds from the Centre for not following National Education Policy norms. The appointment of vice chancellors will be another major problem,” added Thiruvasagam. He suggested that the State and Central governments discuss their differences over the NEP.
Officials of the Higher Education department said the government will soon form the expert committee.
The government last month, while presenting the State Budget in the Assembly, announced that it would appoint a high-level committee of educationists and experts to formulate a distinct State Education Policy for Tamil Nadu, in keeping with the historical legacy, present situation and future aspirations of the State.