Despite a government order (GO) being in place since 1978 and a number of subsequent orders, there is no adherence to reservation policies in admissions to Plus One courses, according to a section of activists.
As per GO 587 of the School Education Department issued in 1978, GO 42 issued in 1994 and various proceedings issued by the Director of School Education later, all the schools under the Directorate of School Education (DSE), except minority institutions, must adhere to reservation policies in admission of students to Plus One.
According to the GOs, the standard reservation of 1% for Scheduled Tribes, 18% for Scheduled Castes within which 3% is reserved for Arunthathiyar community, 20% for Most Backward Classes (MBC), 3.5% for Backward Classes (Muslims) and 26.5% for Backward Classes must be followed in admissions to every group in Plus One.
D. Arogyam, Programme Director of non-governmental organisation Sakthi-Vidiyal, which filed a public interest litigation in Madurai Bench of Madras High Court last year in this regard, said that the GOs were rarely followed.
“The School Education Department assured the court that steps were being taken to ensure proper implementation. The court also observed that it must be the duty of officials to ensure the enforcement of regulations in its judgement issued in August 2017. However, nothing has changed,” he said
“This year, we are finding it difficult to get admissions to few children, who hail from poor families belonging to Scheduled Caste communities, in Maths, Science or Commerce groups that they prefer,” he added.
N. Selvaraj, a daily-wager belonging to a Scheduled Caste, whose daughter secured 361 marks in Class 10, said that she applied for Commerce group in an aided school near Teppakulam. “However, they asked her to take Home Science group,” he said.
K.B.G. Thilagar, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Government SC ST Employees’ Welfare Association, which raised the issue with the DSE, resulting in issuance of a fresh order last month, said the problem was lack of enforcement.
“The order issued in May clearly asks all Chief Educational Officers to instruct the schools to adhere to the reservation policies. But here are no effective monitoring mechanisms in place,” he alleged.
He said that due to non-adherence of reservation policies, students from oppressed communities who score reasonably good marks despite their family situations are often denied opportunity to join Maths or Science groups. “Only if they take these, they can opt for professional courses in colleges,” he said.
N. Marimuthu, CEO, Madurai, however, said that the schools have been adhering to the reservation policies in admissions in every group in Plus One this year. “We organised a meeting and asked all the schools to do so. If we receive complaints about any particular school, we will take immediate action,” he said.
