Chennai, June 9 (BPNS)

Tamil Nadu minister for school education, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has said that the kindergarten classes in government schools would continue.  The minister said that the decision follows concerns raised by several educationists regarding children’s education in the formative years.

It may be noted that the school education department had shut down the classes citing a shortage of teachers. In the last two academic years, owing to the financial crunch caused by Covid -19, many students in primary schools have shifted to government schools and the department transferred excess teachers in Kindergarten sections to higher classes.

The minister in a statement on Thursday said that during the previous AIADMK government’s regime, there were not many takers for government school seats. He said that during the present DMK government’s period, around seven lakh students were additionally admitted to government schools and this was due to the efforts taken by the state government under the able leadership of Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin.

He said that the government had also increased the infrastructure by adding 3000 more sections. Minister said that this also increased the need for teachers and recently many were transferred to teach classes 1 to 5.

Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi also said that the department was taking all steps to ensure that children received education in the anganwadis without any hindrance. The school education minister also said that qualified teachers would be appointed to Kindergarten classes soon.

It may be recalled that several educationists and even the former Chief Minister, O. Panneerselvam had come out strongly against the decision of the government to shut down kindergarten classes.