Chennai, Aug 11 (IANS): Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder leader S. Ramadoss on Sunday demanded that the state government should declare the northern districts as “underdeveloped” in education.

Ramadoss called upon the government to implement the district allocation system to fill up teacher vacancies in northern Tamil Nadu.

He said that as per the Tamil Nadu School Education Department data, there are more than ten thousand vacant teacher posts in Tamil Nadu and a majority of these vacant posts are in northern districts.

“Around 72.32 per cent of these vacancies are in northern districts of Tamil Nadu which is shocking. The government should treat each of the 38 districts in an equal manner,” said Ramadoss.

He said that teachers should be appointed in their respective districts and their transfers should be avoided. “This would help teachers to work within their home districts,” said the PMK founder, who is a medical doctor.

In Class X, Tamil Nadu State Board examinations of 2024, three northern districts of Tamil Nadu - Vellore, Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai - recorded the lowest pass percentages with only 82.07 per cent, 85.48 per cent and 86.10 per cent respectively.

These districts were ranked in the 38th, 37th and 36th positions in the district performance list.

Officials of the School Education Department said that a total of 82,484 students from these districts, including 43,805 girls, appeared for the examinations.

Among these districts, Tiruvannamalai has the highest number of student participants at 31,341, followed by Vellore with 18,670, Tirupattur with 17,221 and Ranipet with 15,174.

Social activist and Director of Centre for Policy and Development Studies C. Rajeev told IANS that a study on the Class X Tamil Nadu School Board Examination results reveals clearly where the students of northern districts of Tamil Nadu are placed.

“The points raised by Ramadoss need to be taken seriously regarding the teacher shortage in northern districts and appropriate measures must be taken by the Education Department at the earliest,” Rajeev said.