NEP concerns apply to all states, says Education Minister

CHENNAI: Claiming that the National Education Policy (NEP) cannot be a "one-size-fits-all model," State School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Friday asserted that the State must be allowed to implement education programmes suited to its context.

Delivering a special address at the “New India Education Summit” held at the Sri Ramachandra Convention Centre in Chennai on Friday, he said every state in the country has its own sentiments. "So, in the State Education Policy (SEP), we talk about the future skills in terms of technology."

The event saw participation from over 700 teachers and educators representing Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

"During my interactions with teachers across districts, we realised that NEP cannot serve everyone alike. Each district in Tamil Nadu has its own sentiment, awareness level, and educational needs, just as each state in India does. Therefore, states must be given the freedom to implement educational initiatives suited to their individual contexts," he said.

The minister also observed that the Constitution allows anyone to learn any of the 22 official Indian languages. "But there is a difference between choice and compulsion," he said.

That is why we say this is not just a concern for Tamil Nadu. But one for every Indian state, he added. "Tamil Nadu has always been the first to voice the need for such autonomy".