Tamil Nadu bars political activities in govt school classrooms, issues new guidelines

Tamil Nadu has barred political party workers and private individuals from entering government school classrooms, reinforcing that educational institutions must remain free from political activities, according to a circular issued by the state government.

The circular, issued by School Education Minister Raj Mohan, states that only elected representatives attending official government functions will be allowed to enter schools and classrooms.

It also makes clear that classrooms are meant solely for education and should not be used to glorify political leaders or individuals.

"Schools are places for learning, not for heaping praises on anyone," the Joseph Vijay-led government said in the circular.

The government has also prohibited the celebration of political leaders' birthdays within school campuses and classrooms as part of efforts to keep educational spaces politically neutral.

According to the circular, all events organized in government schools must adhere to the principles of neutrality and educational relevance. The state government said detailed guidelines governing school events and programs will be issued soon.

The directive comes as Tamil Nadu highlighted its strong performance in school education, citing the latest Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) data.

In a statement issued on July 9, the School Education Department said the state performs better than the national average across several indicators, including student participation, retention, teacher availability, infrastructure, and educational progression.

The department said Tamil Nadu has developed a school education system that not only expands access to education but also enables students to continue their studies through multiple quality pathways.

According to the UDISE report, Tamil Nadu educates nearly 5% of India's school-going children despite accounting for only 3.9% of the country's schools.

The department said this demonstrates efficient use of educational infrastructure while maintaining access to education and adequate teacher availability.

The state has 57,566 schools, 1.24 crore students, and 5.69 lakh teachers. Its overall pupil-teacher ratio stands at 22, better than the national average of 24.

On average, each school in Tamil Nadu has 215 students and 10 teachers, compared with the national average of 169 students per school.

The report also shows higher Gross Enrollment Ratios (GER) across all school levels. Tamil Nadu recorded GERs of 92% at the primary level, 95% at upper primary, 97% at secondary, and 85% at higher secondary, exceeding the national averages of 89%, 90%, 82%, and 62%, respectively.

The state has also achieved zero dropout rates at both the primary and upper primary levels. At the secondary stage, the dropout rate stands at 6.2%, well below the national average of 9.5%.