In his Budget Speech on Monday, March 20, Tamil Nadu finance minister Palanivel Thiagarajan announced that all schools under Adi-Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, Backward  Class, Most Backward Class & Denotified  Communities, Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments and Forest will be brought under the School Education Department.

He said that it is essential for every student to get the benefits of the programs initiated by the Tamil Nadu government.  To achieve the goal of social justice in the field of education, to improve the quality of schools functioning under various departments and, to ensure that all students are provided quality education, the announcement of bringing all the schools together under the education department is made during the budget. He also informed in the house that the service conditions and benefits of teachers and staff presently working in these schools will be protected.

It is to be noted that in the last two years under the rule of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam,  the state government launched Ennum Ezhuthum, Schools of Excellence, Hi-tech Labs, Model Schools, and Perasiriyar Anbazhagan School Development Scheme to improve the quality of education.

Reacting to the announcement by Finance Minister PTR, educationist Prince Gajendrababu said that there is a stigma attached to schools that are functioning under a particular department. While schools run by various departments are brought under the school education department, the responsibility to ensure welfare of the students should remain with the respective department. “The respective departments should conduct a social audit and ensure the SC/ST, tribal students enjoy their rights. Otherwise it defeats the purpose. The change should be effective and it is not a mere change in the management of running schools,” he told TNM.