Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi rewards winners of Kalaisirpi training

CHENNAI: School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Saturday awarded government school students who participated in arts and cultural training camp this week. The training concluded on Saturday.

In an effort to foster and refine the artistic abilities of students in government and government-aided schools across Tamil Nadu, the School Education Department has announced a dedicated training initiative titled Kalaisirpi, aimed at state-level winners of the annual Kalaithiruvizha competitions.

During the recent budget session, the minister had announced that 400 students who excelled in Kalaithiruvizha competitions will undergo specialised training in various art forms, with an allocation of Rs 70 lakh.

From 2022, the arts and cultural festival has been conducted in multiple tiers—school, block, district and state-levels — covering students from classes 6-12. In the current academic year, the government has extended participation to include classes 1-5 as well.

Additionally, separate competitions were also organised for students in government-aided schools and children with special needs (CWSN), including those with intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism spectrum disorder. More than 12,000 special needs students participated in these events, with select students receiving special recognition at the district and state levels.

Hence, to take this initiative further, a six-day residential training camp was held till June 21, focusing on six core art forms—painting, sculpture, bharatanatyam, folk dance, theatre and puppetry.

Meanwhile, Minister Poyyamozhi, replying to a comment made by the Home Minister Amit Shah that “people speaking in English in this country will feel ashamed”, said, “English is no longer a colonial relic. It’s a global tool of progress. Shah and RSS want to paint English as elitist – not because it harms our culture, but because it empowers the poor, Dalits and backward communities to rise.