The Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) on Friday directed the State government to submit an affidavit reflecting its definite stand on the language policy to be adopted in educational institutions.
A few days ago, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had opposed the three-language formula proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP 200) and reiterated that the State would continue to implement the two-language formula.
A Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and R. Suresh Kumar observed that the definite stand reflecting the policy of the government should be informed to the court, by way of a sworn affidavit, to be filed either by the Chief Secretary or the Secretary to the School Education Department.
“If it is the stand of the State to have two-language formula, this court wants a definite commitment to that effect from the government, as to whether these two languages are Tamil and another language or Tamil and English alone,” the court observed. It was hearing a batch of writ appeals pertaining to redeployment of surplus teachers.
The court asked if Tamil and English alone were the languages to be taught in schools in Tamil Nadu. And if medium of instruction to be adopted was either Tamil or English, whether the State government has any reservation to release the grant-in-aid to aided schools that shift medium of instruction from Tamil to English or have both Tamil and English.
Further, the court asked whether the government has taken any policy decision to have a complete and comprehensive legislation, to deal with private schools (minority and non-minority, aided or unaided), by which not only the academic and administrative matters but also service issues/disputes can also be effectively administered and redressed.
So far, except the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Regulation Act, 1973 and the Rules, no other legislation is available to deal with these issues. These issues are dealt with and administered only by government orders and administrative instructions issued from time to time on a case-to-case basis.
Instead, why should the government not think of having a comprehensive legislation to administer issues pertaining to private schools and if so, what is the proposal to have such a legislation and the time limit within which such a legislation can be brought in, can be spelt out by the government, the court said. The case was adjourned for further hearing to August 20.
