English-medium school demand grows in Tamil Nadu

Parents in the State are increasingly seeking English-medium education for their children in government schools. This trend follows a campaign by the School Education Department to boost student enrolment. As of March 22, a total of 1,01,679 students have enrolled in government schools. Among them, 19,053 chose the English-medium stream, while 72,646 opted for Tamil-medium. Teachers report a decline in admissions to the Tamil-medium stream. Many parents believe that English fluency opens up better opportunities. One parent, Sumithra, stated that being proficient in English would help their child compete with students from CBSE and other schools. Teachers also highlight the challenges faced by Tamil-medium students. A teacher from Ashok Nagar noted the lack of Tamil-medium requests, pointing out that most competitive exam materials are available in English. Another teacher from Tiruvottiyur mentioned that while admissions have started, the trend for English-medium instruction has been growing for the last ten years. P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu, from the State Platform for Common School System-Tamil Nadu, explained that if subjects were taught effectively in Tamil, parents might be more satisfied with that option. However, many are still favoring English instruction. In Mogappair, a teacher actively promotes admissions to the Tamil-medium stream. She emphasizes the importance of learning the mother tongue while ensuring students are confident in their English skills. She believes that once students see positive results, they are more likely to continue in the Tamil-medium system.