Annamalai’s statement on poor students enrolment in govt. schools is false; based on outdated records, says Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi

“In this academic year alone more than four lakh students have been enrolled in the government schools in Tamil Nadu,” said Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi.  

Refuting former BJP State president K. Annamalai’s allegation regarding poor enrolment of students in government schools in the DMK government, Mr. Poyamozhi during ‘Vasipu Iyakkam’ inauguration event at M. Chatrapatti Panchayat Union Primary School here on Tuesday, said that Mr. Annamalai’s statement was completely false as the government schools had newly enrolled lakhs of students in the current academic year alone.  

“Maybe he is raising the allegation based on the outdated records,” he stated. 

Adding to this, he said, everyone knew that government schools are run with a service mindset, and private schools operate with a profit motive. 

“Even in a village where there are only four students, the government school continues to operate. The Tamil Nadu government is running schools with a service motive on hills where tribal people live, knowing the importance of education,” he added.  

He said the School Education Department had earlier made two announcements. “One was to provide books to the school libraries and other another was to provide furniture to the schools,” he said.  

In the first phase, about 6,700 books were to be provided to schools and furniture worth ₹25 crore would be provided to 7,000 schools, he pointed out.  

Accordingly, books had been provided to the library and furniture worth ₹40,000 was provided to smart classroom in M. Chathirapatti panchayat primary school. 

Later, Mr. Poyyamozhi, along with Minister for Registration and Commercial Taxes P. Moorthy, inaugurated newly upgraded Kodikulam Government High School and Chettikulam Government Higher Secondary School.