PMK president and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday (August 8, 2026) alleged that Tamil Nadu’s allocation for education, as a proportion of its economic output, had declined to nearly one-third of its level 25 years ago, and questioned whether government schools were being deliberately weakened to benefit private institutions. In a statement, he said the combined allocation for School Education and Higher Education had fallen from 3.92% of the State’s GSDP in 2000-01 to 1.30% in 2026-27. While ₹4,949 crore was allocated for education in 2000-01, the allocation stood at ₹52,920 crore in 2026-27, against an estimated GSDP of ₹40.67 lakh crore, he said. He pointed out that had 3.92% of the State’s economic output been allocated to education this year, the sector would have received ₹1.59 lakh crore, instead of the current allocation. He urged the State government to increase education spending to at least 3% of the State’s economic output and ensure that government schools had at least one teacher for every class.