Exemp schools from hartals'

Thiruvananthapuram: The political parties and other organisations that call hartals at the drop of a hat may not be aware  that they are causing immense harm to the educational system in the state apart from harassing  the people and damaging the economy in general. Hence,  the schools have decided to launch a campaign against the frequent hartals.

The Kerala CBSE School Managements Association has taken the lead in this as  it follows an all-India curriculum which cannot be changed at the whims and fancies of local  leaders. They have  demanded that  education should be included in the list of essential services which are exempted from the strikes. 

Although the state government has fixed  200 working days and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) 220 working days a year, this could not be followed due to the political and social situation in the state. 

The schools are not allowed  to conduct classes during vacations as the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the Kerala State Human Rights Commiss-ion and the DPI have  issued orders against such  classes.       

The CBSE, Thiruvanan-thapuram regional office,   issued orders against holding  classes for  primary and Class V students on Saturdays. The child rights commission had earlier directed schools not to conduct classes for Class I to V on Saturdays. As per the Right to Education Act, the number of working days for Class I to V should be 200 and for Class VI to VIII 220. Kendriya Vidyalayas and the schools following state syllabus do not  take classes  on Saturdays. 

With the CBSE proposing the advancement of the annual Class X and XII board examinations to February from March to declare the results earlier, it would be even more difficult to have adequate number of classes.  The CBSE academic pattern has become tough  with a schedule of about 200 working days, particularly in Classes IX and X. 

Though  the curriculum committee for state syllabus schools had also taken steps to increase the number of working days,   it did not materialise. The proposals included reducing the number of days for Onam and Christmas holidays to compensate the days lost during the term. Another proposal was that extracurricular activities such as youth festivals, science exhibitions, sports and games should be conducted on holidays. There were also proposals to conduct state youth festivals and other activities during summer vacations.

Kerala CBSE School Managements Association president T.P.M. Ibrahim Khan told Deccan Chronicle that  schools should be exempted from hartals.  “We will conduct a campaign  with the support of students. The students can wear badges against hartals and schools can observe an  anti-hartal day,” Mr Khan said. The state syllabus schools also are hit by hartals.

Improvement examinations of the higher secondary and vocational higher secondary in which  about four lakh students  appear  began on July 27.  The first-year  higher secondary improvement examinations scheduled for July 27 were  postponed to August 3 after the PDP announced a hartal. However, it was later withdrawn.

Mr Imbichikoya Koutyamakanakam, Joint Director (Examinations),

Directorate of Higher Secondary Education,  said that of the five days of examinations for higher secondary and vocational higher secondary schools in September 2016, two examinations had to be postponed due to hartals.

The model examinations for SSLC, HSE and VHSE  held in February also faced  uncertainty due to hartals. The second-year HSE/VHSE SAY examinations scheduled in June were rescheduled. 

The very concept of SAY examination  is to ensure that students do not lose an academic year for failing in one subject. This has been  defeated by hartals, Mr Koutyamakanakam said. In July itself,  the state witnessed 10 regional hartals and two education bandhs,  he said.