The Tamil Nadu government has released a circular barring political party workers and private citizens from entering state-run school classrooms. The directive stresses that schools exist for education rather than political events.
School Education Minister Raj Mohan stated that only elected officials attending formal government functions may visit classrooms. The order prohibits events that praise political figures and bans birthday observances for leaders on school grounds.
All school programs must remain neutral and tied to educational goals. Additional rules for events will be released soon.
The decision coincides with state data showing Tamil Nadu exceeds national averages in several education measures. According to the latest UDISE report, the state educates nearly five percent of India’s school children while operating just 3.9 percent of schools.
Tamil Nadu operates 57,566 schools serving 1.24 crore students with 5.69 lakh teachers. Its pupil-teacher ratio is 22, better than the national figure of 24. Gross enrolment rates reach 92 percent at primary level, 95 percent at upper primary, 97 percent at secondary and 85 percent at higher secondary, all above national marks. Dropout rates stand at zero for primary and upper primary levels and 6.2 percent at secondary, below the national 9.5 percent.
