TN’s learning curve in school education

The department has also initiated a programme—Illam Thedi Kalvi—with Rs 200 crore funds to address the learning gap caused by school closures during the pandemic.

Image used for representational purpose only. (Photo | A Sanesh)

That Tamil Nadu does well on several human development indices is a point of pride for DMK and AIADMK, with the success attributed to their ideological roots in the Dravidian movement and its principles of social justice. This is evident in considering health or education.

In school education, the state, according to the school education quality index, came second overall, mainly on the admirable strength of ensuring access, equity, infrastructure and the like.

However, the devil is in the details. TN fares poorly when it comes to learning outcomes, ranking 23rd out of 37 states. The recently released National Achievement Survey paints a worrisome picture, faring below the national average. While the performance across India in the NAS was affected by the pandemic, TN’s performance was below par even in 2017.

Experts admit there is much to be improved in the state’s schools. The School Education department has received the highest allocation in the state budget for the past three years, with Rs 36,895.89 crore earmarked in 2022–23 against Rs 34,181 crore in the previous year.

The department has also initiated a programme—Illam Thedi Kalvi—with Rs 200 crore funds to address the learning gap caused by school closures during the pandemic. Acknowledging that its teachers feel overburdened with administrative work (61% according to the NAS), the state has taken some steps to reduce this, although more could be done. It has introduced a programme to improve literacy and numeracy among students in Classes 1–3. Similarly, it has taken efforts to improve the curricula quality.

But this is not enough after gaps in schooling due to the pandemic. The state must now focus on the basics for students rather than the syllabus.

It must address the impact of closures on mental health. In the long-term, it must analyse where the lacunae in the system lie and course correct while holding students, teachers and parents accountable through regular performance reviews. Ensuring universal access to education means little if the quality is too poor to empower.