Tamil Nadu’s School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh on Thursday, January 2 clarified that the state government has no plans to privatise 500 government schools.
The statement came amidst criticism from opposition parties and allies, including the CPI-M, over reports suggesting a move to privatise these schools.
Addressing the reporters, the minister emphasised that the DMK government is committed to maintaining the integrity of government schools. "Government schools are like our own children; nobody will be allowed to adopt them," he stated.
Anbil Mahesh said that certain private schools had offered to assist in the development of government schools under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, but this should not be misconstrued as an attempt to privatise these institutions.
The Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association also clarified that there is no plan to take over government schools but only to support their improvement through CSR initiatives.
The opposition BJP and DMK ally CPI-M have voiced strong objections to the reported move.
The CPI-M, in a statement on Wednesday, said that any such plans would endanger the education of children from economically weaker and marginalised backgrounds.
It highlighted that Tamil Nadu has over 58,000 schools, including 37,579 government-run institutions. These comprise 24,310 primary schools, 7,024 middle schools, 3,135 high schools, and 3,110 higher secondary schools. Additionally, there are 8,328 government-aided schools in the state. Approximately 46 lakh students are enrolled in government schools.
In contrast, the CPI-M noted that private schools, which number around 12,000, educate 65 lakh students.
Despite being fewer in number, private schools are perceived to dominate the education sector in Tamil Nadu.
The party criticised the disparity in infrastructure and resources between private and government schools, urging the state government to prioritise the development of government schools rather than merging them with private institutions.
Meanwhile, Anbil Mahesh also criticised the BJP-led Central government for withholding funds earmarked for the state’s education sector. He alleged that the Central government releases funds to Tamil Nadu only if the state government agrees to adopt its policies. The minister reiterated the DMK government’s commitment to strengthening government schools and refuted any allegations of privatisation or adoption by private entities.