50000 vacancies in Higher Secondary Schools

Thiruvananthapuram: There are around 50,000 seats still vacant in higher secondary schools in the State even as admissions to plus-one classes closed on September 30. This was almost double the number of vacant seats in higher secondary schools last year. Last year, the number of vacant seats was around 25,000.

The final number of vacant seats will be known only after the admission details of 158 new batches are made available. Of the newly sanctioned 415 batches, 257 were included in the single window admission process after the second supplementary allotment.

The schools concerned have been given permission to make admissions on their own to the remaining 158 batches. The Government had sanctioned 700 new batches this year. Following a High Court directive, the Government had to reduce newly sanctioned plus-one batches from 700 to 415.

Sources said two decisions had resulted in an increase in the number of vacant seats. One of the reasons was the unscientific sanction of new schools even as many seats remained vacant in schools.
The other was the decision to increase the seats by 20 per cent in all higher secondary batches.

Higher Secondary School Teachers' Association (HSSTA) general secretary Sabuji Varghese said even if more allotments were to be held,   schools with vacant seats would not get any students as all those who had cleared  the examinations had already been admitted to various schools, Varghese said.