Tamil to be medium of instruction in TN

From the academic year 2000-2001, Tamil or the respective mother tongue would be the medium of instruction in these schools, he said adding that it would be extended to higher standards in a phased manner.

Besides matriculation and state board schools, government-aided and unaided but recognised schools would have to implement the order, he said. About 150 schools following the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus and 41 Anglo-Indian schools, would, however, be exempted from this, he added.

In the matriculation board schools, besides English, Tamil and the student’s mother tongue would be introduced as medium of instruction. In all the state board, government aided and recognised schools, Tamil or the mother tongue would be taught as first language.

The government order followed the recommendations of the Justice Mohan Committee constituted to go into the plea of Tamil scholars who demanded that Tamil should be the medium of instruction in schools in the State, he said.

Dr Tamizhkudimagan said instructions had also been issued to all the ministers and secretaries of various departments to issue government orders and sign the files in Tamil.

Ministers were already signing the files in Tamil. In the next three months, the State Government would ensure that all GOs were issued in Tamil and all the secretaries signed the files in Tamil.

He said non-Tamil speaking IAS officers from other states were showing more interest in signing files and issuing government orders in Tamil.

Stating that telephone directories have been brought out in Kannada in the neighbouring Karnataka, he said efforts would be made to bring out a Tamil telephone directory in the State.

In the judiciary, judgments were already being delivered in Tamil in lower courts and steps would be taken to ensure that the same was followed in high courts also, he said.

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