Lauding the students of government schools who are set to join premier higher education institutions both in India and abroad, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said the state government would bear the initial travel expenses of those going abroad and fund the education of pupils who pursue higher education in top centres of learning, including the IITs.
In his address at a function here to felicitate 461 such students from government schools, the chief minister lauded them, their teachers and parents, as well as School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and the education department.
“We could not have made this achievement without the School Education Department’s initiatives,” he said.
After about a decade, “in these three years, after we came to power, children from government-run schools have been going to India’s premium higher education institutions,” he said. The DMK assumed power in 2021.
Stalin said the number of students qualifying for higher education in top institutions increased to 274 in 2023 from 75 students in 2022. This year, so far the count is 447 (institutions in India). “The admissions are not over in several educational institutions. Hence, this number is increasing daily.” Under the government’s Dravidian model, all the departments are witnessing growth and the School Education Department has seen a revival, he said.
“Tamil Nadu is number one in India in student enrolment in higher education.” The Pudhumai Penn scheme (Rs 1,000 assistance per month assistance for girl students from government schools) has led to a 34 per cent increase in enrolment in colleges, he added.
Referring to the school education department’s initiatives in using technology for teaching, which includes hi-tech labs, the CM said due to all such efforts, “our students are going to top notch educational institutions to study.” The premium education centres are not only the IITs and NITs but they also include institutions such as the National Law Universities and those that teach space science.
Students from Tamil Nadu government schools have not only made it to top institutions in India, 14 of them have even bagged full scholarship to join reputed universities in Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan.
“I am happy to announce that the government will bear the initial travel expenses of students going abroad and the education expenses of students set to join India’s premier higher education institutions,” the CM said.
He handed over commendation certificates and laptops to 23 students from government schools and felicitated the 14 students from Tamil Nadu government schools who will go on to study in foreign universities and the 447 others in Indian institutions.
Stalin pointed out that when students from government schools join premier education institutions, it leads to huge positive social and economic impact. “With this, government school students are proving again and again that they are second to none.” Students from marginalised backgrounds and government schools scale great heights when they get an opportunity, he observed.
Stalin appealed to the heads of top educational institutions to provide all help and encouragement to government school students and asserted that the Tamil Nadu government will always support the students.
“My dear officials from Taiwan and Malaysia! Take care of our students like your own children, and provide them all necessary support,” he said.
The chief minister advised the students to nurture self confidence and encouraged them saying that they have the capacity to overcome any barrier.
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