It will be “cruel and disadvantageous to the people of Tamil Nadu” to implement the National Education Policy (NEP)- 2020 since the State has already achieved a Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) of 51.4% as against the target of 50% proposed to be achieved across the country through the new education policy by 2035, the State government has said.
In a counter-affidavit filed before Chief Justice Bhandari and Justice who were seized of a public interest litigation petition, the State government said, Tamil Nadu had achieved the highest GER of 51.4% as against the national average of just 27.1% as per India Survey on Higher Education Report 2020.
In Tamil Nadu, children may enter school at the age of five to six with or without kindergarten training. Hence, Tamil Nadu's education system has proved to be the best and is ahead of NEP-2020 by 15 years. Out of the 38 States, 18 scored below the national average. Thus, insisting a State which had shown better results to implement the NEP would be the government said.
It also said the 5+3+3+4 education pattern mentioned in NEP 2020 would disturb the core objectives of the existing proved practice. Stating that NEP requires children to enter school at the age of three failing which they could not enter into school, later on, the government said, the policy does not have any solution to this vital aspect.
“States with the more rural population and tribal areas would suffer drastically. Any change from the existing model of Tamil Nadu would seriously hamper the wellbeing of the already vulnerable sections of children,” the counter read. “In this purview, Tamil Nadu is 15 years ahead of India
Every State should take measures on cultural settings of the State to be reflected in their education policy,” the government asserted.
It further said that internal evaluation aligned with the Right to Education Act was the best mechanism for up to 14 years of a child and that external evaluation before 14 years, as contemplated under NEP-2020, might cause adverse effects such as failure in examinations and psychological trauma.
Similarly, multiple exit options during degree programs would also encourage dropouts. Also, the merger of arts and science streams would suppress subject-wise experts. Consequently, it will decline the growth of scientific knowledge. This will not only alienate the vulnerable sections from formal education from the formal economy also. It will affect the holistic development of society, the government claimed.
The counter also stated that the State government was under no obligation to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) since the subject ‘education’ falls under the concurrent list of the Constitution enabling both the State. Students will not be experts in any of the fields.
The government said that Tamil Nadu had been able to upscale the FER and prevent dropouts due to schemes for providing free education, midday meals, free books, free uniforms, free bicycles, free shoes, free laptops, scholarships, free bus passes, and so on and that uniform education model enables them to be successful at the global level. it legislate on the subject and the court could not issue a direction to adopt such a policy.
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