The Tamil Nadu Higher Secondary School Headmasters’ Association has urged the State government to ensure that Tamizh Thai Vazhthu is accorded priority and sung first at all government functions.

The State general council meeting of the association was held in Nagapattinam on Sunday headed by its State president M. Ravichandran and State general secretary Gnanasekaran.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Gnanasekaran congratulated C. Joseph Vijay on assuming office as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He said that more than 2,500 government higher secondary schools in the State had been functioning without adequate non-teaching staff for nearly three decades. Posts such as classroom attendants, sanitation workers and day and night watchmen remained vacant, affecting the maintenance of basic infrastructure in government schools and contributing to declining student enrolment, he said.

The association urged the newly elected government to fill the vacant posts in government schools through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. Mr. Gnanasekaran further said that headmasters serving in higher secondary schools had not been granted promotions for the past 50 years. Even after approaching courts, the government had cited existing rules governing high schools to deny promotions, he alleged. He urged the government to amend the rules and provide due promotional opportunities to higher secondary school headmasters.

He also demanded that seniority-based preference be given to higher secondary school headmasters while filling senior posts such as Chief Educational Officer. Separate directorates for high schools and higher secondary schools should also be established, similar to the Directorate of Elementary Education, he said.

Referring to the swearing-in ceremony of the new government held on Sunday, Mr. Gnanasekaran said Tamizh Thai Vazhthu had been rendered third in the sequence of songs at the event. He insisted that Tamizh Thai Vazhthu be given priority at all official functions in Tamil Nadu.