The Tamil Nadu government has taken another U-turn in its decision to allow Class 11 students to either choose three or four major subjects for academic year 2020-2021. According to the new order issued by the government on Monday, Class 11 students will continue to study four core subjects this academic year as well.
Till the most recent (2019-2020) academic year, higher secondary students could choose four core subjects along with two language subjects. This makes the students attend exams of six subjects for 600 marks.
However, the Tamil Nadu government passed a Government Order in September last year facilitating the students to choose three or four core subjects from the 2020-2021 academic year. In the order, the government said that its decision was taken to reduce stress and allay fears of pursuing higher education.
The GO earned widespread protest from the educationalists, parents, teachers and the students.
The students, parents and teachers demanded the government to cancel the order since the decision shrinks job opportunities and prospects for higher education for the students choosing three subjects. The stakeholders suggested that the government cancel the September order and should once again keep four subjects as the core.
Based on the suggestions of the stakeholders, the government issued a new GO on Monday stating that since choosing three subjects in Class 11 shrinks the higher education prospects and career opportunities, the government has cancelled the GO issued in September 2019. The new order also made four subjects mandatory for the higher secondary schools and has asked schools to follow the order.
Reacting to the decision change, Opposition party leader MK Stalin said, “I welcome the move of the government to cancel the new curriculum that I requested. It has become a customary practice for the government to make an announcement and then withdraw the statements. By this are you taking a disdain in the future of the students? He is just a ‘vaapas’ Palaniswami.”