Every child in Classes 1 to 10 in a Tamil Nadu school must study Tamil as a subject, whether the school follows the state board, CBSE, ICSE or another syllabus. That is the effect of the Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006, and the School Education Department’s policy note for 2025-26 repeats the rule plainly under the Directorate of Private Schools. For Chennai parents choosing between boards, Tamil is not optional at any of them up to Class 10.
The law took nearly two decades to reach every board fully. This guide explains what the Act says, how it was applied to CBSE and ICSE schools, how the Class 10 Tamil exam works in other-board schools, and what families who moved from another state can expect.
What the 2006 Act says
The Act, numbered Act 13 of 2006, received the Governor’s assent on 9 June 2006 and appeared in the Gazette on 12 June 2006, according to the text published by PRS Legislative Research. Its key points:
- Who it covers: government and local body schools, and private schools including minority schools, aided or unaided, plus nursery and primary, matriculation, Anglo-Indian and oriental schools, and any other school the government notifies.
- Phasing: Tamil started in Standard I in 2006-07 and moved up one class each year until it reached Standard X.
- Pattern: Part I is Tamil, Part II is English, Part III covers subjects such as maths, science and social science. A child whose mother tongue is neither Tamil nor English may study that mother tongue as an optional subject under Part IV.
- Enforcement: the government can appoint an officer of at least District Educational Officer rank as the competent authority.
- Exemptions: section 5 lets the government exempt any class or category of students, by general or special order.
The Act has no penalty clause. Compliance is handled through school recognition and departmental directions.
How it reached CBSE and ICSE schools
For years, many Chennai CBSE schools offered Tamil alongside Hindi or other languages, and some students skipped it. In May 2023 the Director of Private Schools told all schools affiliated to boards other than the state board to teach Tamil from Classes 1 to 10, phased so that all students would be covered by the end of 2024-25, DT Next reported.
The same direction said students in Classes 9 and 10 who had not chosen Tamil must be taught it as a compulsory language. The Director of Private Schools sets the syllabus and exam pattern for these students, and the Class 10 written exam is conducted by the Directorate of Government Examinations, which issues a separate certificate. A school association leader at the time questioned whether the state could direct CBSE and ICSE schools, since those boards set their own syllabus.
The policy note for 2025-26 reports that about 3,565 Tamil teachers working in CBSE and other-board schools were given training. The State Education Policy released in August 2025 also says Tamil will be compulsory across boards, including in Kendriya Vidyalayas in the state, according to DT Next’s report on the policy.
Exemptions for children from other states
The Act’s exemption power has been used mainly for the Class 10 board exam. For the March 2024 exam, the government exempted students in linguistic minority schools, and a departmental circular said students who are not native Tamil speakers did not need to write the Tamil paper, DT Next reported. That followed a Supreme Court order of February 2023 extending an exemption first granted for 2020 to 2022.
Exemptions are announced year by year. If your child joined a Chennai school late, after moving from Delhi, Hyderabad or abroad, ask the school in writing whether an exemption order covers their board exam year. Do not assume last year’s order still applies.
What Chennai parents should check
- Which language slot Tamil takes. In state board schools it is Part I. In CBSE schools it may be the second or third language, depending on the school’s scheme.
- Syllabus for other boards. For CBSE and ICSE students, the Tamil syllabus and exam pattern come from the Director of Private Schools, not from the school’s own board. Ask the school which textbook it uses for each class.
- Late joiners. A child entering a Chennai school in a middle class with no Tamil will still be placed in Tamil lessons. Ask the school what support it offers for beginners before admission.
- Mother tongue. Under Part IV, a Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada or Urdu speaking child may still study their own language as an optional subject.
- Exemption requests. Keep transfer certificates from schools outside the state; they are usually the evidence used.
Tamil Nadu continues its two-language policy of Tamil and English in schools, so the Tamil requirement sits alongside compulsory English rather than a third language.
Quick answers
Is Tamil compulsory in CBSE schools in Chennai?
Yes, from Class 1 to 10, under the Tamil Learning Act 2006 and the 2023 direction from the Director of Private Schools.
Who sets the Tamil exam for CBSE students in Class 10?
The Directorate of Government Examinations, Tamil Nadu, using a syllabus set by the Director of Private Schools; a separate certificate is issued.
Can a child from another state be exempted?
The Act allows exemptions by government order, and exemptions have been given for the Class 10 Tamil paper in recent years. Check the order for your exam year.
Does the Act apply to Class 11 and 12?
No. It covers Standards I to X.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, 2006 (Act 13 of 2006), text (PRS Legislative Research)
- School Education Department Policy Note 2025-26 (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- TN private schools told to teach Tamil for students till Class 10 (DT Next)
- Linguistic minority students exempted from writing Tamil paper in Class 10 boards (DT Next)
- TN education policy drops Class 11 boards, makes Tamil must (DT Next)
