Alappuzha: The strikes declared by student organisations in colleges often hit the schools also and they are forced to shut down. This has affected the academic calendar of schools which are unable to find the required working days. Hence, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) has ruled that closure of schools in the name of education strikes by colleges is a violation of child rights.
Sr. Biji Jose, member, KSCPCR, has asked the Directorate of Public Ins-truction to issue an order to end school-level strikes within 30 days under section 45 of Kerala State Commission for Protecti-on of Child Rights rules.
The order was issued on the basis of a petition filed with the KSCPCR by Mr Sreekumar of Pathiyoor near Kayamkulam here seeking steps to end the education strikes as well as intimidation of schools right from classes I to X to shut down.
The KSCPCR said in the order that the High Court had banned elections based on politics in schools and colleges. However, politics is still prevalent in many college elections.
The student organisations extend the strike to schools to make it a grand success. This has affected the maintenance of the minimum of 220 academic days in a year stipulated by the Right to Education Act.
Though no democratic government can wish away the right of students to protest, time had come to end the strikes that adversely affects the maintenance of minimum academic days in schools, the order said.
Mr. Sreekumar said that schools are closed if the police resort to a lathicharge against the strikers at any far away places. “This trend had forced me to approach the DPI,” he said.
