SC appoints panel to examine TN school law

The Supreme Court set up a committee to examine the previous DMK governments school education law in Tamil Nadu.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday set up a committee to examine the previous DMK governments school education law in Tamil Nadu,criticised by the incumbent Jayalalithaa government as being riddled with deficiencies and

containing propaganda material intended to influence children.

The AIADMK government made its reservations about the Tamil Nadu Uniform System of School Education Act clear when it deferred the implementation of the school law until after a comprehensive review.

But the Madras High Court,in an interim order,stayed the operation of the amendment and brought the school law back into vogue in the state. The unified system was aimed towards equality in education and a unified syllabus for all boards of the state.

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Hearing the state governments challenge against the HC order,a vacation bench of Justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar decided on the expert panel to examine ways and means to implement the Unified System of School Education.

The committee is to look into alleged deficiencies and irregularities in the system,and will comprise two representatives from NCERT,two from the state government,two academicians,an expert in the field of education,the state Education Secretary and the Tamil Nadu Director of School Education.

The panel is to place a report in three weeks before the Madras High Court.

Meanwhile,the bench said the unified system may continue for classes one to six for the sake of continuity and in the interest of students as the state has incurred expenses worth Rs 200 crore and published nine crore copies of books.

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Appearing for the state,senior advocate PP Rao argued that the new syllabus lacked content and was wanting in quality in various fronts. The state argued that the high court had stayed the amendment despite the government producing proof about the inadequacy of the syllabus.

The state contended in its petition before the SC that unified education system did not cater to requirements of creative learning and extra-textual learning as recommended by National Curriculum Framework 2005. It may also serve as a handicap for students while facing national and international examinations,the government had submitted.