Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai has asked the state’s school education minister, Anbil Mahesh, a series of questions, including, “Where is the allocated budget being spent?” This criticism comes in light of a recent resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association on 31 December 2024. The resolution announced the association’s plan to adopt 500 government schools during the 2025-2026 academic year as part of an inaugural initiative.
On 1st January 2024, Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai, through his official X account, questioned the allocation of funds for education in the state. He remarked, “One of the resolutions passed at the inaugural function of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association, held yesterday, announced that nearby private schools will upgrade 500 government schools, which has been welcomed by the Minister of School Education, Anbil Mahesh. The question now arises among the public: Does the Tamil Nadu government not even have the funds to upgrade 500 government schools?”
He further highlighted, “The Tamil Nadu government’s budget allocation for education this year alone is ₹44,042 crore. On top of that, they also take out loans of about one lakh crore rupees every year. The DMK, which came to power promising to rebuild 10,000 dilapidated government school buildings in their election manifesto, has failed to take any action even after four years.”
Annamalai also pointed out issues within the system, stating, “Recently, the school education department went as far as disconnecting the internet services for district education offices due to an unpaid internet fee of ₹1.5 crore. So, where does the ₹44,042 crore allocated to the education department go? Has the DMK government been forced to seek help from private organizations even to educate students, who are the pillars of the country’s future? What is the DMK government doing with this money if they can’t provide basic facilities?”
நேற்றைய தினம் நடைபெற்ற, தமிழ்நாடு தனியார் பள்ளிகள் சங்கம் துவக்க விழாவில் நிறைவேற்றப்பட்ட தீர்மானங்களில் ஒன்றான, 500 அரசுப் பள்ளிகள், அவற்றின் அருகிலிருக்கும் தனியார் பள்ளிகளால் மேம்படுத்தப்படும் என்ற தீர்மானத்தை, பள்ளிக் கல்வித் துறை அமைச்சர் திரு. அன்பில் மகேஷ்…
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) January 1, 2025
Background
On 30 December 2024, during the inaugural event of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association—formed by the merger of six private school associations—nine resolutions were passed urging the government to address critical issues private schools face. Among the key demands was the timely release of funds for the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which the association highlighted as a significant concern.
The resolutions called for the permanent recognition of matriculation, nursery, and primary schools that meet specific criteria. Another resolution proposed a policy change to relax regulations for private school buildings constructed before 31 May 2023. It urged the government to allow primary and nursery schools with sufficient classrooms to be upgraded to middle schools.
The association also demanded that the government release the pending RTE funds within the same academic year to cover students’ tuition fees. They further suggested that only students with at least 75% attendance should be eligible to sit for board exams.
In addition, the association called for establishing an expert committee chaired by a retired judge to address the legal challenges private schools face. As part of a special resolution, they announced plans to adopt 500 government schools during the 2025-2026 academic year.
During the event, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi stated that a decision on the resolutions would be made after discussions with the Chief Minister. The minister and School Education Secretary, S Madhumathi, explained that the delay in RTE fund disbursement was due to the central government’s hold-up in releasing funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme.
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