Tamil made compulsory for CBSE schools

On September 18, the School Education Department has made Tamil compulsory in all the schools in Tamil Nadu, including CBSE institutions as per government order. Tamil Nadu Government had previously passed the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act in the year 2006 and made teaching Tamil as one of the subjects compulsory in all nursery & primary, middle & higher secondary schools, together with minority institutions, in the state. But, CBSE schools were free from the purview of the act.

The Education Secretary stated, “The recent government order brings all the schools of CBSE in Tamil Nadu under the purview of the act apart from those mentioned under the specified category. The Central Act of 35 of 2009 lists Navodaya Vidyalaya Sainik Schools and Kendriya Vidyalaya under the “specified category”.

As per CBSE’s official website, there are 565 schools in the state affiliated to the CBSE till now. Except 41 Kendriya Vidyalayas, one Sainik School and 2 Navodya Vidyalayas in the State, it has now become compulsory for all other CBSE schools to make Tamil as a subject. This pronouncement might be a major concern for those students of CBSE who have not taken Tamil as one of their papers.