Policy spells out broader vision, but silent on panel's key recommendations

TN against NEET and culture of coaching centres, but SEP silent on panel's view to consider banning such centres

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai

The State Education Policy (SEP) for school education will reflect the unique character of Tamil Nadu by combining progressive thought with a future-ready vision, Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Friday after unveiling the policy. He reiterated that the state will strictly follow the two-language policy, focusing on Tamil and English.

"We want to nurture students who not only read but also create, with a strong grasp of technology," he said, highlighting the key points of the SEP.

Stalin said more than 900 government school students have secured admission to premier higher education institutions across the country this year, with the number expected to rise as admissions are still ongoing. The number of students entering IITs has grown from single digits to double digits, he added.

Stalin also expressed happiness that over 75% of government school students joined higher education institutions last year and expressed confidence that the figure would increase further this year.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said the Dravidian movement was founded to reclaim the right to education that had been earlier denied to the people. He recalled how 'Periyar' E V Ramasamy firmly opposed the "Kula Kalvi" scheme, leading to its withdrawal. "Following in his footsteps, our CM has been boldly opposing the National Education Policy," he said.