The DMK government has been proudly claiming that they have achieved everything in their education system, refusing to consider the National Education Policy (NEP), which was introduced to replace the 34-year-old NEP of 1986. What the DMK boasts about are the goals set 34 years ago, designed for a different era. However, the world has changed significantly, and the 21st century demands a new approach.
The latest NEP is designed to bridge the gap and prepare students for the rapidly evolving world. It emphasizes more than inclusivity, equity, and the importance of grounding education in India’s cultural roots, while also equipping students with the skills needed for the future. The policy outlines a roadmap for universal foundational literacy and numeracy, a holistic curriculum, multilingual learning, and the seamless integration of vocational and academic pathways. However, the DMK remains resistant to change, and they continue to push for a clear divide between government and private schools in Tamil Nadu.
This raises the question: What has the DMK actually done for education since winning the election, particularly in the School Education Department led by Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi? The answer seems to be a disaster. Government schools, which are the lifeline for the underprivileged, have been completely neglected—schools that many look to for a chance to escape poverty through education. Since the DMK took power, numerous issues have cropped up, yet no meaningful action has been taken to address them.
Instead, the founder of Udhayanidhi Stalin’s fan club has been more focused on creating drama, posting pictures, and posing for social media, rather than addressing real concerns. There is a lack of infrastructure, a shortage of teachers, and many qualified candidates who have passed the Teacher Eligibility Tests but have not been given jobs. There have also been reports of government school teachers sexually assaulting students, students struggling to read and understand Tamil, and an alarming rise in substance abuse among students, among other issues. Let’s take a look at how the school education department has decayed under DMK minister Anbil Mahesh.
Teacher Shortage & DMK’s Refusal To Recruit
Let’s start with the basics: teachers. Tamil Nadu is facing a critical shortage, with over 1,000 headmaster positions and thousands of teaching roles unfilled in government schools. This lack of teachers has made it increasingly difficult for educators to effectively teach students.
While all government schools fall under the Department of School Education, various wings of the department are responsible for primary and secondary schools. In Tamil Nadu, approximately 25,50,997 students are enrolled in 31,336 primary schools, with around 1,08,537 teachers. In secondary schools, there are 6,218 institutions across the state, with 27,24,256 students and 1,16,863 teachers.
The shortage of teachers and headmasters is creating significant challenges for both educators and students. Despite this, the government has failed to address these vacancies. According to teachers’ unions, more than 1,000 headmaster positions remain vacant in the state’s 37,000 primary, middle, and high schools.
What is even more alarming is the fact that the last recruitment for primary school teachers took place in 2021-2022, filling a mere 14 positions. For secondary schools, 3,043 vacancies were filled in the 2022-2023 academic year. The DMK government, instead of addressing this shortage, has resorted to using temporary staff, allowing the education system to spiral into chaos.
TN Students Struggle In Literacy And Numeracy
The recent ASER 2024 report highlights a disturbing gap in foundational literacy and numeracy across India, with some states showing significant recovery from pandemic disruptions while others, like Tamil Nadu, are lagging behind in key educational indicators. The report compares the progress of various states, and despite Tamil Nadu’s reputation for educational advancements, it has notably fallen short, particularly in government school performance.
Reading Skills
In 2024, when comparing literacy levels between Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh for children in Standard III, Uttar Pradesh has made notable strides, especially for students able to read at the Standard II level. Tamil Nadu’s performance, however, is concerning: 8.6% of children cannot even recognize letters, 18.2% can only read letters but not words, and 36.3% can read words but not Standard I-level text. Only 12% of children can read at a Standard II level. Uttar Pradesh, by comparison, shows better results, with 34.3% of students reading at the Standard II level, a significant improvement over Tamil Nadu, which has traditionally been viewed as an educational leader. More troubling is the situation in higher classes: 45.3% of Class VI students, 56.1% in Class VII, and 64.2% in Class VIII can only read at a Standard II level.
(ASER – Tamil Nadu)
(ASER – Uttar Pradesh)
Tamil Nadu’s struggle to maintain or improve its literacy rates is evident. Despite claims by the government of improvements such as the Illam Thedi Kalvi program, literacy rates have not shown significant progress. In fact, in 2022, the percentage of children in Standard III reading at a Standard II level had drastically fallen to just 4.7%, a sharp decline from 16.8% in 2014. On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh, despite having a lower percentage in 2014 (6%), showed continuous improvement, reaching 27.9% in 2024.
(ASER – Tamil Nadu)
(ASER – Uttar Pradesh)
Numeracy Skills
The situation in numeracy is similarly troubling. In Tamil Nadu, the performance of Standard III students in arithmetic shows significant gaps. 5.9% of children cannot recognize numbers from 1 to 9, and 15.2% can recognize numbers up to 9 but struggle with numbers up to 99. 51.2% of students can recognize numbers up to 99 but cannot perform subtraction, while only 2.2% can perform division. Uttar Pradesh, although still facing challenges, shows better performance in numeracy, with 16.4% of children able to perform division, compared to just 2.2% in Tamil Nadu.
The trend analysis for Standard III students performing subtraction from 2014 to 2024 reveals fluctuating performance in Tamil Nadu, with a sharp decline seen in 2022, likely due to the pandemic. However, by 2024, the percentage of students able to perform subtraction has increased to 27.6%, still behind Uttar Pradesh, which has steadily improved over the years. In contrast, Uttar Pradesh’s progress in numeracy is more consistent. The state showed remarkable improvement, reaching 31.6% in 2024, surpassing Tamil Nadu’s performance.
(ASER – Tamil Nadu)
(ASER – Uttar Pradesh)
The performance in higher classes also highlights a concerning trend for Tamil Nadu. In Standard V, the percentage of children who can perform division has decreased from 25.6% in 2014 to 20.2% in 2024. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh has made significant strides, with the number of children performing division rising from 12.1% in 2014 to 31.8% in 2024.
In Standard VIII, Tamil Nadu’s ability to perform division has also declined, with 37.8% of children being able to perform division in 2024 compared to 39.6% in 2014. Uttar Pradesh, however, has shown a notable improvement, jumping from 30.5% in 2014 to 45.6% in 2024, surpassing both Tamil Nadu’s performance and its own previous figures.
Substance Abuse
A Chennai school in Kalyanapuram, Vyasarpadi, has become a hotspot for underage substance abuse, with students as young as pre-teens consuming beer and tobacco. A report on 23 August 2024, revealed a Class IX girl drinking beer in the classroom on her birthday, with her Class VII brother purchasing it, while three Class X boys were caught smoking Beedis. These incidents highlight a disturbing trend of substance abuse among students at the school.
Other Administrative Failures
Let’s take a look at how the administration has deteriorated over the past few years under the DMK government.
- On 9 November 2024, a government-aided girls’ school in VK Puram, near Ambasamudram, screened Tamil films such as Vijay’s ‘GOAT’ to senior students and Rajinikanth’s ‘Vettaiyan’ to younger students, with charges of ₹25 and ₹10 per student, respectively.
- The government secondary school in Theethipalayam, Coimbatore, faced a severe classroom shortage, leading to a decline in student admissions and forcing existing students to attend classes under trees and in the parking area. Despite ongoing construction, about 100 students in classes 8 and 9 are left without proper facilities.
- On 27 August 2024, three students were injured when a section of the ceiling plaster fell on them during class at a government-run school in Krishnagiri. The accident raised significant concerns about the safety and structural integrity of the building, which had only been opened two months ago with MPLADS fund. In another similar incident July 2024, a ceiling of a newly constructed Panchayat Union Middle School near Kanchipuram collapsed, wher the building, completed three months prior.
- On August 2024, another ceiling of a classroom at a government school in Thiruporur collapsed, injuring five female students and sparking protests from parents who questioned the quality of the construction.
- On 12 June 2024, the administration of St. Paul’s Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Mayiladuthurai forced students to clean their classrooms to “instill” discipline, a practice exposed when a ninth-grade student refused and was slapped by a teacher.
- The Government Higher Secondary School in Mogappair, Chennai, became a site of student distress due to poor conditions, including unhygienic facilities and unsafe infrastructure. Girl students raised alarming concerns that they were subjected to verbal harassment and forced cleaning duties, with teachers complicit in the mistreatment.
- In 2023, a disturbing video went viral showing mentally challenged students at a Tamil Nadu government-aided school, run by the Church of South India (CSI), being forced to clean toilets. The students, attending the CSI School for the Mentally Challenged in Sivakasi, were reportedly made to perform this task as part of their school routine. The incident, involving over 100 students, sparked outrage after the video was shared on social media.
Proselytization Attempts At Govt Schools
So far, we only saw the regular failures. Did you know that government schools even became a targt for proselytization? Take a look at the number of times this happened.
- In October 2024, the headmistress of Government High School in Diwanshah Pudur allowed Friday Namaz to be held on school premises, disrupting the secular environment. The prayers have been conducted regularly such practices may cause religious discord and mental distress as the school serves a diverse student body
- In August 2023, protests erupted in Acchankuttam village, Tenkasi, over concerns that a government-aided Christian school was engaging in proselytization. The Tahsildar filed a complaint, leading to police action against 12 individuals accused of inciting communal unrest by mobilizing Hindu parents to withdraw their children from the school. The case stems from fears of religious conversion within the school.
- In 2022, Beatrice Thangam, a tailoring teacher at a government school in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, was accused of making objectionable remarks about Hindus and attempting to preach Christianity to her students. A Class 6 student revealed in a video that Thangam referred to Hindus as “sathaan” (devil), forced students to read the Bible, and even made them kneel and recite Christian prayers. The teacher allegedly pressured Hindu students to stitch Christian crosses and dismissed the Bhagavad Gita as “bad.”
- In 2022, a 17 year old girl studying at Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School in Thirukattupalli near Thanjavur, committed suicide by drinking poison after she was allegedly tortured to convert to Christianity by the school for her to continue her studies.
Caste Pride & Violence
For all the credit that the Dravidianists claim for “eradicating caste”, we have seen a huge surge in caste violence in schools. Here are a few such instances:
- A 10th-grade student at a government-aided school in Sripuram, Tirunelveli, was dismissed for carrying weapons, including a sickle and knives, after a student clash. The weapons were discovered during a routine bag check on 18 September 2024. .
- On 30 July 2024, two students at the Government Higher Secondary School in Valliyoor, Tirunelveli, were injured in a caste-related clash triggered by derogatory remarks about a specific caste written on a toilet wall.
- In December 2023, students from Periyar Government Higher Secondary School in Cheranmahadevi attacked students from a nearby polytechnic college over caste issues, leaving one student stabbed.
- On August 2023, three students from a dominant caste assaulted a Scheduled Caste teenager and his sister in Nanguneri. The violence resulted in injuries and hospitalisations, shocking the community.
- On 1 July 2024, another instance of caste-based pride sparked a clash among 12th-grade students at Rosalind Chelliah Government Higher Secondary School in Maruthakulam village, Nanguneri, Tirunelveli.
Sexual Assault/Harassment At Govt Schools Surged
If caste violence and other administrative failures weren’t enough, the government schools also saw sexual assault cases peak under the DMK.
- On February 2025, Kumaresan (57), a lab assistant at a government school in Salem, was arrested under the POCSO Act for allegedly sexually harassing female students.
- A second-grade student at Podhavur government primary school in Trichy was allegedly sexually assaulted by teacher Jayaraj Susainathan while cleaning the classroom. Following a complaint from the parents, Jayaraj was arrested. It has been revealed that there have been sexual harassment complaints against him for the past decade, with the teacher reportedly threatening the students and their families during this time.
- A 58-year-old assistant headmaster of a government high school in Pudukottai was arrested on 17 February 2025 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly sexually harassing multiple girl students.
- Sivakumar, a 40-year-old temporary physical education teacher, allegedly sexually harassed the 11th grade student and violated her by making inappropriate comments about her appearance. Following an investigation Omalur All Women Police Station registered a case under the POCSO Act.
- 3 Govt School Teachers – Arumugam (48), Chinnaswamy (57), and Prakash (37) in Krishnagiri arrested under the POCSO Act for Gang-Raping a 8th grade student resulting in pregnancy and an abortion
- Ilayakannu, a 37-year-old teacher from Neyyamali, Bettanayakkanpalayam, Salem district, had been arrested under POCSO act for sexually harassing 10th and 11th grade students at the Yercaud government higher secondary school.
- On 3 September 2024, Dr. S. Samson Daniel (31), a government doctor, was arrested under the POCSO Act on sexually assaulting minor girls at a hostel affiliated with a government-aided school in Trichy. His mother, S. Grace Sagayarani (54), who is the headmistress of the school, was also taken into custody for helping to cover up the offenses.
- On August 2024, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) functionary named Sivaraman during a fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp at a private school near Bargur in Krishnagiri district.
- A math teacher Sundara Vadivelu working at a corporation school at Noyyal Road in Tiruppur was arrested for sexually harassing multiple students, and allegedly targeted seventh-grade students over the past few months. Sources indicate that more than ten children have come forward with complaints so far.
- Suresh, a Tamil teacher at Ariyalur Government School, was arrested under the POCSO Act for sexually harassing a 6th-grade student. He threatened the student’s life to keep it secret, but she informed her parents, who then filed a police complaint.
The state of education in Tamil Nadu under the DMK government, particularly in the School Education Department led by Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, paints a grim picture of systemic neglect and administrative failure. Despite the DMK’s claims of progress and pride in their education system, the reality on the ground reveals a stark contrast.
The above-mentioned problems in government schools further expose the deep-rooted issues plaguing the system. These problems are compounded by the administration’s focus on superficial measures and social media optics rather than addressing the real concerns of students, parents, and educators.
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