High school timings revised for benefit of students: Kerala Minister Sivankutty

Kollam (Kerala): Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Thursday said that the timings of high schools in the state were revised for the benefit of students and there was no fault on the part of the government.

The minister said that under the revised timings, the school hours have only been extended by 15 minutes in the morning and afternoon sessions, except on Fridays, for 16 days a month.

"Then only we will get the required hours equal to 220 teaching days which is a requirement for completing the prescribed curriculum of high schools as per the national education calendar and state education rules," Sivankutty said while speaking to reporters here.

He was responding to a query by reporters regarding the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama raising concerns about the revised timings at an event on Wednesday where Chief Minister Pinayari Vijayan was present.

Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, known as Samastha, is an association of eminent Sunni scholars who enjoy the highest support base among Kerala Muslims and it had expressed concern that the revised schedule would affect madrassa education for around 12 lakh students.

Sivankutty said the government was not going to reject their concerns as it was not opposed to any community's religious beliefs and practices.

He said that the government was open to holding discussions with them, but the decision to revise the timings was taken on the basis of court orders and central and state education laws which cannot be ignored.

"Let them give suggestions and we will consider the same. We are not rigid on the issue," the minister said.

Sivankutty also said that last year, when he had fixed the teaching days to 209 in the state, there was a lot of opposition to it, following which he had reduced it to 205.

"But some teachers' organisations affiliated with the UDF went to the Kerala High Court, which in turn directed the setting up of a high-power committee to examine the matter. The committee gave its report which has been accepted by the High Court also," he said.

It was based on the panel's report that the timings were revised, the minister added.