Chennai: More than 85,000 candidates who appeared for the post-graduate teacher recruitment examination in Tamil Nadu have failed the compulsory Tamil language test, disqualifying them from further evaluation despite having written the main subject papers.

The examination, held on October 12, sought to fill 1,996 posts of post-graduate teachers, physical education directors and computer instructors in government higher secondary schools. Of the 2.36 lakh candidates who appeared, over 36 per cent failed to secure the minimum 20 marks required in the Tamil language paper, which carries 50 marks.

Introduced in 2022 for all state government recruitment examinations, the Tamil test aims to ensure that candidates possess basic reading and writing skills in the language. Only those who pass the test are eligible for evaluation of their subject-specific answer scripts.

Officials and educators expressed concern over the large number of failures, noting that most candidates hold multiple degrees, including B.Ed, M.Phil. and Ph.D qualifications. They pointed out that the Tamil test questions are at the level of Class 10 and said the results reflect declining Tamil proficiency, particularly among students who completed schooling without studying Tamil as a primary subject.

Several educationists said the situation has led to thousands of otherwise qualified candidates losing employment opportunities. They attributed the trend to lack of emphasis on Tamil in many private schools.

Reacting to the results, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss criticised the State government, alleging that its policies had weakened Tamil education. He said the government must take responsibility for the failure of 85,000 candidates.