Tamil Nadu committee recommends doing away with college entrance exams: Report

NEW DELHI: The high-level committee formed to frame the State Education Policy of Tamil Nadu has recommended that the state does away with entrance examinations in higher education institutions, according to a report by the New Indian Express.

It has also rejected the multiple-entry multiple-exit scheme, by which students can choose to enter and exit a course in any year of its duration, proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The committee headed by former Justice D Murugesan has submitted the draft State Education Policy to Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Monday.

Tamil Nadu has long opposed the NEP 2020 with chief minister MK Stalin announcing on multiple occasions that the state will reject the policy and formulate its own. The high-level committee to draft the policy was formed in June 2022.

Class 11, 12 marks for admission

According to the reports, the committee has opposed entrance examinations and recommended consolidated marks based on Class 11 and Class 12 results as a metric for college and university admission. It has suggested not introducing the multiple-entry multiple-exit scheme saying that it will do more harm than good to the future of higher education. However, the four-year undergraduate programme has found favour with the committee which has suggested its introduction along with additional infrastructure.

The committee has also suggested that children above 5 years of age be allowed for Class 1 admissions. NEP 2020 proposes that Class 1 admission requires a child to be above 6 years of age. The Tamil Nadu State Education Policy has also recommended one percent reservation to orphan students in higher education institutions.

Tamil Nadu is not the only state to reject recommendations in the NEP 2020 as opposition-led states such as West Bengal and Kerala have already come up with drafts of their own state policies which have crucial distinctions from the central one. Karnataka has formed a high-level committee to draft its state education policy, which is expected to be out by August.

The Tamil Nadu State Education Policy was initially supposed to be released in September 2023 but was riddled with delays, one of which was the disqualification of then higher education minister K Ponmudy for breaching the model code of conduct.