The Organisation of Muslim Educational Institutions and Associations of Tamil Nadu (OMEIAT, www.omeiat.com and www.oittn.com) organised a symposium on “Samacheer Kalvi” – equitable standard education – at Oriental Research Institute Jubilee Auditorium, University of Madras Annexe, Marina Campus, Kamaraj Salai, Chennai on October 11. Dr. S. Sathikh, General Secretary, Omeiat presided over the symposium which commenced with the recitation of the verses from the Holy Qur’ān.
Mr. P.K. Shabbir Ahmed, B.E., who is one of the founders of the Omeiat and an active member of this organisation since its establishment in 1974, explained the Samacheer Kalvi scheme and its implications. He said, “The Tamil Nadu government wants to implement the scheme after making some changes in the Samacheer Kalvi recommendations submitted to it.”
Quoting the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Mu.Ka. Stalin, he said that 50% of the inhabitants of Chennai have Telugu as their mother tongue and they are also spread all over Tamil Nadu. He further said that according to the 1991 Census, Urdu speaking people are more than 10 lakh in the state and schools offering Urdu as medium of instruction or at least as the first language are about 350. Besides there are also people speaking Malayalam, Kannada and other languages in Tamil Nadu. As these linguistic minorities, particularly Urdu-speaking people, want to retain their language, literature and cultural heritage; their children should be given an opportunity to learn both their mother tongue (Urdu or any other language) and the regional language Tamil as is the case in Andhra and Karnataka.
As the Tamil Learning Act 2006 provides provisions for teaching of only Tamil and English as regular exam subjects and has a vague provision for the minority languages as optional languages without examinations and it will not work at all, he suggested that the government should make special provision in the two languages formula to accommodate the special interests of the linguistic minorities. The expert committee has tried to address this requirement by recommending that S.S.L.C. exam should have six papers, one of which will be either a minority language or advanced Tamil or advanced English or an oriental language like Arabic or Sanskrit. This recommendation is most welcome since it simultaneously satisfies the lovers of Tamil, English, minority languages or oriental languages. This also protects the existing systems of the oriental schools. He wanted Dr. Muthukumaran to throw light on this vital subject in detail.
The Chairman of the Samacheer Kalvi explained the purpose of the scheme and said that it will provide the same type of education to all children in all schools without any discrimination and create equality among the people. He was also of the opinion that mother tongue is important for everyone and nobody can withdraw this right. He appreciated the views expressed by Mr. Shabbir Ahmed and wanted the Omeiat to take their grievances to the government for its consideration and doing the needful.
Mr. Christudoss and Mr. Khaja Mohideen also spoke in detail. There was also a question-answer session. Some members of the Management and faculty raised some questions and placed their arguments for changes in the scheme. The three special dignitaries replied to them and said that “there is no threat to the linguistic minorities here and they can appeal to the government if they have any grievances”.
The symposium was well attended by people from Chennai and other districts. It resolved to welcome the steps being taken by the government of Tamil Nadu to bring about equitable standard school education towards improvement of academic standards.
In view of the universally accepted educational principle that primary education should be in the mother tongue, it was resolved to request the government of Tamil Nadu to continue effectively without any break at any stage even in future the present provision to offer school education through mother tongue, Tamil as well as minority languages like Urdu, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, etc. in the true spirit of equity, not uniformity.
In view of the fact that offering education through minority languages is not possible unless those languages are also taught as regular subjects with examinations, it was resolved to request the government to restore the teaching of minority languages as was the case before the enactment of the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act 2006.
It was further resolved to request the government to enable linguistic minority children to learn their mother tongue from Standard I and also start learning Tamil at some higher stage as recommended by the “samacheer kalvi kuzu” through suitable amendments to the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act 2006.
In as much as the 27 oriental Arabic and Sanskrit high schools which are already categorised as special schools are functioning smoothly, it was resolved to request the government not to disturb this stream of schools. However without disturbing their focus on the oriental languages any other academic improvement if necessary can be carried out.
It was also resolved to request the government of Tamil Nadu to implement the recommendations of the samacheer kalvi kuzu regarding the S.S.L.C. exam pattern which is as follows:
Paper 1 – Tamil
Paper 2 – English
Pape 3 – Mother tongue for linguistic minorities or any of the oriental languages (Sanskrit, Arabic) or Advanced Tamil or Advanced English.
Paper 4 – Mathematics
Paper 5 – Science
Paper 6 – social studies
With 100 marks each totalling 600 in all schools other than Oriental schools.
In view of the fact that as many as 350 schools offer Urdu education in the state, it was resolved to urge the government to involve representatives of these managements before bringing about changes affecting Urdu education. It was further resolved to request the government to similarly involve managements of hundreds of other schools which offer other minority languages like Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, etc.
A separate resolution pledged to welcome the statement of Minister for School Education that matriculation schools and Anglo Indian schools will not be affected by the samacheer kalvi. It was further resolved to request the government to similarly exempt oriental schools from samacheer kalvi scheme.
Dr. S. Muthukumaran, Chairman, Mr. Christudoss and Mr. Khaja Mohideen, members of the Samacheer Kalvi, who were invited specially to the symposium, addressed the gathering comprised of members of the managements, educationists, teachers, presspersons, etc. Mr. G. Mohammed Thaj Muhyideen proposed vote of thanks.