Tiruchi Siva also raised concerns over CBSE permitting students of Class 11 and 12 to choose optional technical subjects like Applied Mathematics instead of the second language.
DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva on Friday wrote to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to include Tamil as a second language in the syllabus of Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) and other CBSE schools in the state from the current academic year (2021-22). The MP said that he raised the issue during the zero hour in Parliament that 49 Kendriya Vidyalaya schools in Tamil Nadu deprive students from learning their mother tongue.
In the letter on Friday, he said, “In the 49 Kendriya Vidyalaya schools, there is not even one Tamil teacher and this deprives the local students of studying their mother tongue as a subject in their own state. On the other hand, Hindi and Sanskrit are compulsory and a student studying Class 6 will be promoted to Class 7 only if he passes Sanskrit examination.”
After he mentioned the issue in Rajya Sabha, the MP wrote in his letter that the Chairman of Rajya Sabha instructed the Education Ministry to take note of the issue. He said that he brought the issue to the notice of then Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on February 10 and the Minister responded that appropriate action will be taking the issue into consideration on March 2.
“But recently the CBSE has uploaded textbooks for the KV students studying from Class 1 to 10 online in which Tamil was not listed as a language subject. This is contrary to the assurance given by the Minister and has caused much anguish amidst the people of TN,” the letter added.
He added that Tamil is an ancient language, and that not teaching the language in Union Government-run schools is a matter of serious concern in a country which is constitutionally has a federal structure
Tiruchi Siva also raised concerns over CBSE permitting students of Class 11 and 12 to choose optional technical subjects like Applied Mathematics instead of the second language. He said, “The move paves way to avoid learning of the mother tongue. Opting out of learning Tamil in Tamil Nadu again hurts the sentiments of the people of the state.”
Hence, he requested the Minister to include Tamil as a compulsory subject in KV and other CBSE schools in Tamil Nadu during the current academic year itself in order to appease the people of Tamil Nadu who are hurt by the previous decision and to keep the spirit of federalism alive.
Source: The News Minute