Rs 5,000 cr plan for Universal Secondary Education in TN

Chennai, Apr 24 (UNI) After having successfully achieved Universal Primary Education, the Tamil Nadu Government has drawn out a comprehensive plan to achieve Universal Secondary Education, involving a total expenditure of Rs 5,000 crore, School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu told the State Assembly today.

Replying to a debate on the demand for grants for his department, he said the State Government would seek to achieve universal secondary education with the objective of ensuring that every child in the State completes ten years of schooling.

The Government had planned to universalise secondary education through the Centrally-assisted programme called 'Scheme for Universal Access and Quality at the Secondary Stage (SUCCESS)'.

The Government had prepared a detailed report and sent the same to the Centre, seeking financial assistance, Mr Thennarasu said, adding that the State Government, on its part, had allotted a sum of Rs 200 crore.

''The vision of this programme is to provide high quality Secondary Education to all girls and boys up to the age of 16 by 2015 and extend higher secondary education for them up to the age of 18 by 2020,'' he said.

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