CM checkmates Rabb on plus 2 courses in 4 pvt schools

Pathanamthitta: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has checkmated Education Minister Abdu Rabb’s move to accord Cabinet nod for higher secondary courses in four private schools by directing a new committee to go into schools’ claims.

Mr  Chandy ensured this by endorsing Additional Chief Secretary (general education) V.S. Senthil’s recommendation to set up a six-member committee, chaired by Higher Secondary Education director K.N. Satheesh, to verify within seven days claims by two schools in Kadambanad panchayat and one school each in Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram for higher secondary courses.

On two occasions Mr Rabb had tried to get the higher secondary proposal cleared by the Cabinet but Mr Chandy insisted that the Finance Department whet the proposal first.

Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) K M Abraham cautioned the Government against financial implications while Mr Senthil pointed out that the recommendation by a previous committee, also headed by Mr Satheesh, for granting higher secondary courses was illegal. Mr Senthil faulted Mr Satheesh for reconstituting a committee which had ceased to exist.

Also, his committee’s draft report had been leaked out and the schools in question flaunted it as the authorized Government report before the court, though it was not signed by all committee members concerned.

The ugly haste for the Cabinet imprimatur had created suspicion among a few corporate managements, which already had won favourable court orders to start higher secondary enrolments in their schools.

The Education Department went in appeal against corporate managements even as Mr Rabb labored, though in vain, to get the Cabinet nod for the four schools.  

Mr Chandy’s stance has further embarrassed Mr Abdu, who is already under flak from his own party men for not being assertive and protecting the party interests