SEP against common entrance, Justice Murugesan committee submits SEP to CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Justice Murugesan committee on Monday submitted the much-anticipated State Education Policy (SEP) for school and higher education sectors to Chief Minister MK Stalin recommending among others that no entrance examination should be conducted for enrolment in any higher education courses.

The high-level committee to formulate SEP was set up by the Tamil Nadu government in 2022 as it was against several key features mentioned in the National Education Policy (2020). The task before the 13-member committee was to consider TN’s historical legacy, current social scenario and future aspirations to create a unique education system for TN students.

The 57-page report submitted before the CM suggested that the State take appropriate measures to ensure that ‘Education’ is brought back in List II (State list) of Schedule 7 of the Constitution of India. Further, it recommended that consolidated marks obtained in Class 11 and 12 board exams be the basis for admission to higher education courses, and, that entrance exams of any kind for admission to higher education courses are unacceptable.

On the Multiple Entry and Multiple Exit system (MEME), proposed by the NEP-2020, the SEP said it will do more harm than promoting higher education and is contrary to the concept of university education, and hence unacceptable.

Similarly, the Academic Bank of Credit proposed by the UGC shall not be implemented in the State universities till the system matures with transparency and free flow of information on courses.

The students who join undergraduate programmes should continue and complete three years to get a degree. Discontinuation of the course during the middle of the academic year shall not be permitted for reasons like obtaining the certificate/diploma.

The SEP also recommended that Science curricula and pedagogy in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) be redeveloped to provide students with not only conceptual understanding but also engage actively in experimentation and theory building through inquiry-based learning.

In all varsities, an autonomous board of examination should be set up that directly functions under the direction of the Vice-Chancellor. The autonomy is for both academic and financial matters.

Subsequently, in school education, the report pointed out that exams should be conducted only at the school level until students take board exams in class 10. There should be no centralised examinations at earlier levels.