Education in Tamil Nadu – An Introduction
Tamil Nadu – means the “Land of the Tamils” who were mainly Dravidians. The Dravidians were the original inhabitants of the subcontinents. Tamil Nadu, one of the fastest growing states in India, is rapidly emerging as the destination of choice for MNCs keen on a slice of India’s booming economy. Of late due to substantial investment flow into the automobile sector in the state it has earned the distinction of being the “Detroit of South Asia”. As per 2011 census the population of Tamil Nadu was 72.15 million, of which the male population was 36.14 million and female population was 36.01 million. The literacy rate of Tamil Nadu was 80.09%, of which the male literacy is 86.77% and female literacy is 73.14%. The sex ratio of Tamil Nadu was 996 females per 1000 males, which is much above the national average of 940.
School Education in Tamil Nadu
Read about Education in Tamil Nadu
School education in Tamil Nadu begins at the age of four with the pre-primary stage of schooling where students are mostly asked to attend playschool and learn lessons through games. Thereafter in the primary stage of school where children are taught elementary lessons in various subjects. The upper primary stage of school comprises classes I and II, but is often merged with the primary school in several schools in Tamil Nadu. There are two board examinations that a candidate has to sit for to pass the school level of studies in Tamil Nadu, one is after the completion of class X and the next at the end of class XII. The Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education, Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) and the Indian School Certificate Examination / Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) are the three boards followed in schools across Tamil Nadu. Medium of education is Tamil for government run schools and English for private schools. As per the available statistics of the Department of School Education, Government of Tamil Nadu for 2005-2006 there were 51,807 schools with a total enrolment of 13.02 million.
Higher Education in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu Directorate of Technical Education which is under the control of Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department deals with Diploma, Post Diploma, Degree, Post Graduate courses and Research programmes. It also regulates the establishment of technical institutions including commerce institutions such as Typewriting, Shorthand and Accountancy. Tamil Nadu has 37 universities, 242 engineering colleges, 482 degree colleges, 17 medical colleges, 5 ayurveda colleges, 80 catering and hotel management colleges, 12 dental colleges, 10 homeopathy colleges, 125 management colleges, 42 nursing colleges, 7 colleges of occupational therapy, 37 pharmacy colleges, 49 physiotherapy colleges, 203 polytechnics and 1 unani medical college. Tamil Nadu also has a host of research institutions in varied and diverse fields. Affiliations of the various colleges are to different universities, institutions and councils. Due to the presence of numerous and prestigious industries of repute there is ample scope of industry interface and employment for the desiring aspirants.
Education in Tamil Nadu – Future
Tamil Nadu has made commendable progress in education and has one of the best educational infrastructures on the national basis. It is an ideal place for any student aspiring to attain premium education.