“Abolish NEET in TN”: State school platform tells state gov't  

The Tamil Nadu State Platform for Common School System (SPCSS-TN) has asked the Tamil Nadu State Government to take serious steps to abolish the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) instead of simply replying to the Union Government's letters, reports The New Indian Express. They also expressed their shock at the statement of the State Education Policy (SEP) high-level committee that it has not discussed the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Addressing newspersons, General Secretary of SPCSS -TN, PB Prince Gajendra Babu, said the union government usually consolidates the clarifications sought by different ministries and sends them to the state governments. However, in the case of the anti-NEET bill, the ministries have been asking for clarifications individually to waste time and their letters have not mentioned anywhere that the bill violates the constitution. "It has been proved that NEET has only helped commercialise the school education system more by paving the way for the crop up of more coaching centres, and also higher education. Instead of saying that it will continue the legal fight, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led state government should talk to the people and make it a movement to abolish NEET. They should also seek the support of states who are against it," he said.

What about NEP?

The organisation also expressed their shock over the statements of the SEP high-level committee chairman and its members that they haven't been discussing the National Education Policy 2020.

"When the union government is trying to implement the NEP aggressively, the committee should have clarity on what ground the components of NEP need to be rejected and what is the alternative. For this, they should talk to the retired judges of the Supreme Court, and we will gladly arrange for the consultation if required. Various components including changing the academic structure, school complexes and college clusters are unacceptable. The state's government model school initiative is the replica of the PM SHRI school part of the NEP," said a member of the organisation.