Special Correspondent
TIRUNELVELI
Speaker M. Appavu has urged the Department of School Education to ensure the welfare of government-aided schools by treating them as government schools as these privately managed schools, mostly being run by the minorities, safeguard the salient features of equality and social justice, the motto of the Tamil Nadu Government.
Speaking at the review meeting, he said no private school that was started after 1991 – 1992 was given grant by the Tamil Nadu Government and highly qualified teachers working in most of these schools were getting meagre monthly salary which was less than what was given as wages to labourers of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi issued a Government Order in 2011 through which around 11,307 teachers would have benefited by getting salary from the government. But the G.O. was not implemented following change of guard. The previous regime issued another G.O. (217 of 2019) that froze new appointments of teachers in government-aided schools even though they had sufficient strength of students.
“I appeal to the Department of Education to treat the government-aided schools like government schools as those who are administering these institutions are torch-bearers of the government’s policy of equality and social justice. Besides trashing the G.O. 217 of 2019, the department should take efforts to safeguard the well being of government-aided schools,” he said. Mr. Mahesh assured him to revisit G.O.
He also urged the officials to conduct spoken English classes in all government and government-aided schools by roping in experts so as to strengthen their communication skills.
Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Anita R. Radhakrishnan and Minister for Social Welfare P. Geetha Jeevan, Special Officer, ‘Illam Thedi Kalvi’, Ilam Bhagavath, MLAs and senior officials participated in the meeting that concentrated on implementation of ongoing programmes and safety of students.
