Page 33 - EW-August-2024 PDF _Neat

including IIT-JEE and NEET. If all tions within Tamil Nadu,” warns edu- link language of the country. Signifi-
states follow NEP 2020, there will be cationist Dr. S. Somasundaram. cantly – and myopically – NEP 2020
standardisation of syllabi and perhaps Academics in Chennai are almost reiterates the three language formula,
learning outcomes. This is especially unanimous that the new three-year- making learning of Hindi compulsory
important for maths and science. old DMK government’s opposition to for children countrywide. A major de-
Moreover, the Murugesan Commit- NEP 2020 and determination to in- mand of the DMK — and indeed of all
tee has recommended the primacy of troduce its own SEP is rooted in the political parties in Tamil Nadu — is
Tamil as the medium of instruction. party’s antagonism toward “Hindi the dual language learning and usage
But the previous DMK government imperialism,” i.e, imposition of Hindi policy under which only Tamil and
had decreed this 16 years ago. Yet the — the lingua franca of the so-called English are taught in government
middle class paid no attention. It con- BIMARU (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, schools and used in state administra-
tinues to send its children to private Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) states — tion. This demand has been dutifully
English-medium schools. Parents’ as the national language. In the south, endorsed by the Justice Murugesan
choice of medium of instruction was these states are widely perceived as Committee.
pointedly endorsed by the Supreme the country’s most socio-economically However, the consensus among ac-
Court in 2014. The apex court held backward and poorest, although most ademics in Chennai is that acceptance
that parents are the best judge of populous. In 1960 when Hindi was of this and other recommendations of
the language in which their children officially declared the national lan- the Murugesan Committee does not
should study. This is the best solu- guage, there was widespread rioting in require legislation of a separate State
tion. The DMK leadership should stop the southern states with Tamil Nadu Education Policy. “A separate SEP
practising Tamil Nadu exceptionalism threatening secession from India. is an overkill. The interest of Tamil
and beating the Tamil drum. Indeed As a result, this declaration was Nadu’s children will be best served if
it is doing Tamil-medium students a rolled back and English was retained their education is in sync with the rest
disservice as they won’t be able to find as the ‘associate’ national language of the country,” says Somasundaram.
employment outside Tamil Nadu and and remains the language of the upper Good advice.
perhaps not even in managerial posi- judiciary, business and the inter-state Shivani Chaturvedi (Chennai)

AUGUST 2024 EDUCATIONWORLD 33