Tamil Literature curriculum to be launched in schools in 2020

PUTRAJAYA: Tamil Literature will now be a part of the school curriculum, in a move to attract more students to take up the subject.

Previously, it was listed as an elective subject under the new Standard Curriculum for Secondary Schools (KSSM) 2017.

Now, a full Tamil Literature curriculum is being drafted for implementation in 2020, according to Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan.

“The timing is right as those who started secondary school under the new KSSM last year will be in Form Four by then,” he added.

Before the subject is fully implemented, there will be pilot programmes in selected schools to gauge the suitability of its content.

“The development of this curriculum and implementation of Tamil Literature in schools will interest more students in taking up the subject,” he said.

“Demand for Tamil Literature is high, but many students don’t sign up for it because it was previously not part of the curriculum.

“There also weren’t enough teachers to teach it in schools,” he said, adding that 3,139 students would be sitting for the Tamil Literature paper in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination this year.

“Once the curriculum is implemented in 2020, we expect an increase in this number,” he said.