Viluppuram MP and General Secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Ravikumar, has urged the ruling DMK government to appoint two teachers to each of the 2,758 single-teacher schools in Tamil Nadu. In this regard, he has written a letter to the DMK Minister of School Education, Anbil Mahesh, highlighting the issue. Ravikumar also raised concerns about the overall teacher shortage in the state, pointing out that while 496 schools have no students enrolled, there are still 889 teachers assigned to these vacant institutions.
The recently released 2023-24 report by the Department of School Education and Literacy, which operates under the Union Ministry of Education, highlights Tamil Nadu’s success in school education. However, Ravikumar pointed out that while progress has been made, there is still a gap when compared to Kerala, which currently ranks first in school education.
In Tamil Nadu, 2,758 schools operate with only a single teacher, serving 80,586 students. Ravikumar stressed the importance of appointing at least two teachers to these schools to ensure better education quality.
He also raised concerns about the overall teacher shortage in the state. Despite 496 schools being completely devoid of students, there are 889 teachers still assigned to these institutions. Ravikumar called for a reevaluation of such situations and for a more effective deployment of teaching resources.
Addressing the issue of student dropouts, Ravikumar highlighted that 10% of Scheduled Caste students drop out after 8th grade. He emphasized that combating child labor requires preventing these dropouts and creating a situation where dropouts are minimized, if not entirely eliminated.
Additionally, Ravikumar noted the neglect of school libraries, advocating for an increase in the number of books available to students and calling for better infrastructure to foster learning.
Viluppuram MP D. Ravikumar via his official X account stated, “The UDISE+ report for the year 2023-24 has now been released by the Department of School Education and Literacy, under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. It is gratifying that the Tamil Nadu government is doing well in school education. Especially compared to 2019, school education in Tamil Nadu has seen significant progress. The work that you are undertaking to improve school education, especially government schools, under the wise guidance of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, is commendable. Tamil Nadu should surpass Kerala, which is currently the top state in school education. I kindly request you to take the following steps.
- One-teacher schools should be abolished: There are 2758 schools in Tamil Nadu with only one teacher. It has been found that 80,586 students study in those schools. Managing a school with only one teacher will severely affect the quality of education. We can imagine what the quality of education of the 80,586 students studying in those schools will be. I urge that these schools should be immediately converted to schools with at least two teachers.
- The number of teachers should be increased: The number of teachers in Tamil Nadu is relatively low. Due to this, the teacher-student ratio is 24. Although this is less than the national average of 25, it is higher compared to many states. Not only that, but there are also only 9 teachers per school in Tamil Nadu on average. That number is more than 20 in many states. Similarly, the average student enrollment is 221 per school in Tamil Nadu, which is also higher than in many states. There are 496 schools where not a single student is enrolled. It has been revealed that 889 teachers are working in those schools. This worrying situation needs to be changed.
- Dropout rate should be eliminated: Tamil Nadu has completely eliminated the dropout rate in primary and secondary education. However, the dropout rate in higher education is 5.45%. Although this is lower than the national average, in the neighboring state of Kerala, the dropout rate in higher education is only 2.18%. SC and ST students drop out in the eighth grade in the highest numbers. In higher education (from class 9 to class 12), the gross enrollment ratio (GER) of SC students is 90.3, out of which males are 86.5 and females are 94.3. In the same higher education, the enrollment ratio (GER) of ST students is 89.1. About 10 percent of SC and ST students drop out after the eighth grade, with males being more numerous. There is a direct link between dropout and child labor. Child labor cannot be eradicated without preventing dropout in school education. Considering this fact, I request you to take steps to bring about a situation where dropout is completely absent in Tamil Nadu.
- Increase the number of books in school libraries: Our honorable Chief Minister is responsible for creating the largest libraries in the Indian states. However, the libraries in schools are relatively neglected. It has been revealed that, on average, there are 406 books in the libraries per school in Tamil Nadu. In nearby Kerala, this number is 2,783 and in Delhi, it is 5,958. A report states that 99.94% of government schools in Tamil Nadu and 95.79% of private schools have libraries. However, in my direct research, I have found that students do not use these libraries much. This situation needs to be changed. Additionally, the number of books in school libraries should be increased. I request that action be taken on this matter, especially during the Chennai Book Fair.“
தமிழ்நாட்டின் பள்ளிக்கல்வி UDISE+ அறிக்கை வெளிப்படுத்தும் உண்மைகள்
=====தமிழ்நாட்டில் பள்ளிக் கல்வியை மேம்படுத்த மாண்புமிகு பள்ளிக் கல்வித்துறை அமைச்சருக்குக் கடிதம் மூலம் வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளேன்.
======நான் அனுப்பியுள்ள கடிதத்தில் பின்வரும் கோரிக்கைகளை முன்வைத்துள்ளேன் 👇🏿…
— Dr D.Ravikumar (@WriterRavikumar) January 2, 2025
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