Tamil Nadu Has Decided To Maintain LKG And UKG In Government Schools

Following public outcry over the plan to close kindergarten divisions in 2,381 government schools, Tamil Nadu's school education minister, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, said on Thursday that LKG and UKG classes in these schools would be maintained with special teachers. The state administration had been encouraged by political parties and educationists to keep the KG sections in these government institutions.

The minister said in a statement that the previous administration used excess instructors to teach LKG and UKG classes due to a drop in enrolment in government institutions. Following last year's transfer of seven lakh children from private to public schools, the school education department added 3,000 new sections.

Due to a shortage of teachers, surplus teachers who were teaching LKG and UKG classes were recently relocated to primary schools. He added further that the government has also made arrangements for KG pupils to continue their education at anganwadi centres.

Meanwhile, in response to pressure from various groups, the government opted to keep LKG and UKG in government schools, as advised by the chief minister.

This started years back when the state government began offering LKG and UKG programmes in 2,381 anganwadi centres located inside government middle schools on a three-year trial basis in 2019-20. The department assigned surplus teachers to KG students in primary schools. Pre-primary education based on the Montessori approach has been attended by almost 43,000 children.