Kerala govt stands firm on decision to extend school timings; education min says all parties convinced

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI(M) government in Kerala has decided not to concede to the pressure by some Muslim outfits against extending school timings by 30 minutes daily.

State general education minister V Sivankutty, who held talks with representatives of various religious forums on Friday, said that those who were opposing the decision to extend the working hours were convinced of the reasons why the government took the decision. "They were also assured that the matter would be reconsidered ahead of the next academic year," he said.

Forums like Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama that represents Islamic scholars had openly opposed the decision to extend working hours for high schools by thirty minutes citing the inconvenience it could cause to students undergoing religious studies at madrassas.

But the education minister pointed out the additional working hours were introduced to accomplish the minimum working days prescribed by the High Court. All were convinced of the government's stand, Sivankutty said.

The government decided to increase the high school working hours by 15 minutes each in the morning and evening and made six Saturdays as working days so as to meet the norm that there should be 220 working days.