Madras HC exempts Class X student from Tamil language exam, ETEducation
Chennai: As a one-time relief, Madras high court directed the Tamil Nadu school education department to grant an exemption to a Class X student appearing for SSLC under the state board from the compulsory Tamil language examination. The court granted the relief because the boy studied French as a second language in the CBSE syllabus until Class IX and was admitted to a state board school for Class X.
Faulting the parent and the school management for admitting the boy, who never studied Tamil, in a state board school, Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy said, “A child’s education should not be jeopardised due to lapses by adults or institutions.”
The court also imposed 10,000 as cost on the school management. The judge also made it clear that the exemption would apply only to the SSLC exam, and it would not apply for Classes XI and XII or for future educational or employment requirements.
The court passed the order on a plea moved by J Joseph Samuel, represented by his father Job Yesupatham. According to the petitioner, the boy was studied Class X at St Marks Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Vellore, which follows the TN state board. The boy’s mother lived in Kashmir, and they conversed only in Hindi at home.
Opposing the plea, the state contended that, as per the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, Tamil is a compulsory subject for all schools under the state board.
Recording the submissions, the court observed that the primary fault lay with the parents and the school, which admitted the child despite clear statutory requirements.
Pointing out that the Act empowers the govt to issue special orders in exceptional circumstances, the judge said that not all factual situations can be anticipated while framing laws or GO, and extraordinary cases require equitable relief.
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