NIOS offers Tamil as new language option

Updated on: Monday, April 11, 2011

Tamil will be offered as a new language option for students taking the higher secondary level examination through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) from the coming academic year. Currently, English, Hindi, Sanskrit and Urdu are the language options available for students. Introducing Tamil is an effort to encourage more students from the State to complete schooling through the NIOS.

“Not offering Tamil is a major reason for lack of demand to NIOS in Tamil Nadu. We hope introducing Tamil would be an opening,” said V.S. Raveendran, regional director, NIOS, who is in-charge of centres in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala. He said that there have also been requests to offer Tamil as a medium of instruction at the secondary level, but it is still under consideration.

Of the 27 subjects offered in the NIOS syllabus, a student can choose a minimum of five subjects. “In NIOS, no language and subject is compulsory. The pass percentage is considered with at least one language and three non-language papers. The choice is up to the student,” he said.

According to teachers, offering more choice would help students from a Tamil medium background and with difficulty in English study further. It was only three years back that Tamil was introduced at the secondary level. “Some find it easy to write in their mother tongue, so we have the option for students taking the exam. It would also help secondary level students continue at the higher secondary level,” said Mr. Raveendran.

For the current academic year, nearly 1,250 students are taking the exam at the secondary and higher secondary level from the State.

NIOS offers Tamil as new language option

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