Senior educationist S S Rajagopalan, a pivotal member of the Muthukumaran committee that was instrumental in establishing the Samacheer Kalvi (uniform system of school education) in Tamil Nadu under the late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's cabinet, passed away in a hospital in Chennai late on Tuesday. He was 95 years old.
A Distinguished Career in Education
An English teacher by profession who also taught Mathematics, Rajagopalan embarked on his educational journey in the early 1950s at a government-aided school in Coimbatore, where he later rose to become the headmaster. After retiring in 1990, he relocated to Madras and briefly served as a senate member of Madras University, continuing his dedication to academic governance.
Contributions to Educational Reforms
Throughout his four-decade-long career, Rajagopalan was actively involved in various educational initiatives. He served as a member of the technical committee of the All India Forum for Right Education and collaborated with the State Platform for Common School System (SPCSS-TN) in Tamil Nadu. His commitment to educational equity was unwavering.
Advocacy for Mother Tongue Instruction
Rajagopalan was a staunch advocate for using the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in government schools. During his tenure on the Samacheer Kalvi committee, he faced accusations that the Tamil Nadu syllabus was inferior to CBSE or other syllabi. Through meticulous year-long research comparing curricula, he demonstrated that the TN syllabus was, in fact, more academically fulfilling than others, as noted by SPCSS-TN general secretary P B Prince Gajendra Babu.
Post-Retirement Activities and Legacy
After retiring, Rajagopalan remained engaged in the educational discourse by publishing articles for newspapers and periodicals. His body has been donated to Ramachandra Medical College for medical research, reflecting his lifelong commitment to service.
Tributes from the Education Community
Condolences poured in from across the educational spectrum. School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi expressed his grief on social media, stating, "The demise of the senior educationist S S Rajagopalan is a great loss to the field of education. Ayya Rajagopalan emphasised that examinations not only evaluate learning but also teaching. He never hesitated to critique projects for student welfare."
Educationists, including Tamil Nadu School Education Director S Kannappan, mourned his passing, describing it as a "grave loss" to the education sector. Rajagopalan's legacy as a reformer and critic, always focused on student well-being, continues to inspire educators in Tamil Nadu and beyond.
