Uniform School Education system put on hold

CHENNAI: The AIADMK government on Sunday decided to put on hold the introduction of uniform school education system (USE) which was scheduled to be introduced for Classes 2 to 5 and 7 to 10 from the current academic year, stating that the USE in the present form would not improve the quality of education. The move has put a question mark on the nearly nine crore books already printed and kept ready for distribution to the students.A decision to this effect was taken at the first meeting of the State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at Fort St George.Making it clear that the AIADMK government was not against the introduction of the USE, the government said that a committee of experts would be constituted to improve the quality of education while introducing the USE. As  printing of textbooks under the old system would take at least some time, the government has decided to re-open the schools on June 15.Defending the move of the government, School Education Minister C Ve Shanmugam said that views of all stakeholders in the issue would be elicited before deciding on ways to improve the standard of education through the USE and the committee for this purpose would be appointed soon.The minister categorically denied the charge that the decision was politically motivated. He said the decision was made in the interest of the students, parents and teachers. “We are not against the USE. What we wish to do is to improve the standard of education under the USE.”Asked what would happen to the nine crore textbooks for the USE that were ready for distribution, the Minister said the number was wrong and until the DMK was in power, only 60 per cent of the printing work was completed. Questioned whether the already printed books would be used in the future by issuing supplementary readers, he said all of these issues would be studied by the experts committee.Former School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu could not be contacted for his comments on the AIADMK move.The USE was an election promise of the DMK during the 2006 polls. After much postponement and agitation by groups, it was decided that the USE would be introduced in phases. In the 2010-11 academic year, the system was introduced in Classes 1 and 6. The USE was supposed to have been implemented in the remaining classes this year.