Tamil Nadu Teachers' Body Demands Lowering of Teacher-student Ratio in Government Schools

Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers’ Federation has demanded the state government to reduce the teacher-student ratio from 1:30 to 1:20. The teacher’s body has reportedly cited the fall in the birth rate in Tamil Nadu. A resolution in this connection was passed at the federation’s executive committee meeting held in Courtallam town of Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu. District President Arockiaraj has passed the resolution, Edex reported.

Arockiaraj has said that the Tamil Nadu government should lower the teacher-student ratio as the birth rate has declined in the state. “At present, the teacher-student ratio in the state is 1:30 in the government primary schools. It was set a few years ago when the Tamil Nadu government implemented the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. However, after this, the birth rate in Tamil Nadu has declined. Considering this, the State Government should lower the teacher-student ratio to 1:20,” Arockiaraj was quoted as saying by the news agency.

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The demand of the teacher’s federation is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which said that pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) of under 30:1 will be ensured at the level of each school. The policy also mentioned that areas having large numbers of socio-economically disadvantaged students will aim for a PTR of under 25:1.

The federation has also passed a resolution to urge the state government to appoint Physical Education Teachers in all government middle schools across the state. The resolution further urged the state government to set up a Science Centre in Tenkasi district to improve the “Science knowledge” among all the students currently studying in schools.

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The government must also take necessary steps to devise a mechanism to provide scholarships to children of beedi workers on time, the resolution reads. It must also appoint a grievance redressal officer for handling the students’ and parents’ complaints, it added.

The teacher’s federation in its resolution also demanded that the school education department should ensure a transparent process for the transfer of government panchayat schools teachers.

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