Computer Science Subject Likely To Be Introduced From Class Six In TN Government Schools

The DMK government, which came to powerrecently, would soon decide to introduce Computer Science subject for school students studying from Class VI to Class X in all State-run institutions. At present, Computer Science is treated as a proper subject only for Class XI and Class XII in the State.

The previous AIADMK government, in its interim budget in February 2021 before the elections, announced that Computer Science would be introduced from Class six to Class ten in all government and government-aided schools from this academic year.

Interestingly, the DMK government had initiated to bring Computer Science in the year 1999-2000 as a full-fledged subject for higher secondary classes.

In addition, in 2004, the then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had issued orders for the revised syllabus from Standards VI to XII - implementation from 2003-2004. Accordingly, several subjects including Ayurveda, Drawing and Painting, Western Music, Siddha, and advanced English were also deleted.

However, the then School Education Department, after consulting with the high-level committee, had planned to introduce Computer Science even for students studying from Class VI to Class ten.

A senior official from Tamil Nadu's State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), which is in charge of preparing the school curriculum, seeking anonymity said that the Computer Science should have been introduced in 2006 from Class six after preparing the syllabus besides printing textbooks in that regard.

"However, change in the government, the proposal has been postponed indefinitely", he said adding "however, the textbooks of Computer Science could not be used now as it was outdated syllabus and it is not in line with the current requirements".

Another official from the School Education Department also said that the SCERT had already was in the process to prepare the syllabus for the Computer Science subject from Class VI according to the latest development in the Information Technology (IT) field.

Tamil Nadu Higher Secondary Computer Teachers Association president A Sankaralingam said "if Computer Science was introduced from Class six, more than 6,500 teachers, who were on the wait-list across the State, will be benefited from the scheme".

"More than 40 lakh students from government and government-aided schools will also be benefited on par with their private institutions' counterparts if the IT subjects were introduced", he said adding "many students were interested in getting Computer Science knowledge through school curriculum".