CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Saturday said the Dravidian Model’s emphasis on equality and “everything for everyone” is not merely a social commitment but smart economics that enhances the State’s productivity.
He also asserted that the State would not sign a Memorandum of Understanding to secure pending Samagra Shiksha funds from the Union Government.
Speaking on the second day of the ThinkEdu Conclave, the minister said the government’s upcoming manifesto would once again promise to move education from the Concurrent List to the State List. The session was chaired by K. Vaidyanathan, Editor of Dinamani.
He said, “When every child studies and every mind begins to work, the entire state becomes more productive. That is what we are focusing on through the Dravidian model.”
Responding to a question on whether the absence of a third language in the school curriculum was a drawback of the Dravidian Model, the minister said the government’s position is that Tamil represents the State’s cultural roots, while English serves as a bridge to wider opportunities.
Tamil safeguards identity, confidence and self respect, whereas proficiency in English ensures access to technology, law and science. The State therefore views Tamil as a language of identity and English as a language of opportunity, he said.
Addressing the issue of pending Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan funds from the Union Government over the past two years, he said, “An allocation of over Rs 35,000–48,000 crore is pending and the future of 43 lakh students and the salaries of more than 32,800 teachers and staff depend on it. Our schemes have progressed well and even earned Union government praise, with Tamil Nadu leading in 19 of 20 Samagra Shiksha objectives."
"Yet, when we seek funds, we are told to sign an MoU; that is blackmail. Our Chief Minister has made it clear that signing such an MoU would be equal to taking society 2,000 years backwards, and we will not do that. Even for Rs 10,000 crore, we will not compromise. We know how to manage our finances and remain committed to prioritising school education.”
On bridging the education gap after the pandemic, he said, “We have many Chief Ministers in India, but it was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who recognised that reopening schools after the pandemic was not the real challenge but bridging the learning gaps was. After two and a half years, many children had forgotten how to read and write."
"Following consultations, we launched Illam Thedi Kalvi, supporting 34 lakh students with 1.76 lakh volunteers. Nearly 60% of the learning loss was regained. And for a requirement of 1.76 lakh volunteers, over six lakh youth registered to volunteer. That’s the specialty of Tamil Nadu.”
Expressing confidence ahead of the upcoming elections, the minister said, “These two months, we are seeing only a small interval, but again, in May, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin will be back and we will implement Dravidian Model 2.0 in not only the education department but in all sectors.”