JOIN USRow over making Saturdays working for Kerala schools
A decision of the Kerala government to make Saturdays working day for schools has triggered a row with even the pro-left teachers' organisation raising objections.
While there were allegations that the decision was taken without much discussion, Kerala general education minister V Sivankutty said on Sunday that there would not be any rethinking of the decision as proper discussions were already held. He also said that students and parents were only happy over the decision.
The state government decided to make 28 Saturdays working days during this academic year so as to ensure 220 working days. The government was citing the stipulations in the Right to Education Act and the Kerala Education Rules regarding the hours of study required.
Discussions were initiated with teachers' organisations in this regard last month. While some bodies welcomed it, some were opposed. The government brought out the academic calendar on June 1, which mentions 28 Saturdays as working days.
Pro-CPM teachers' outfit Kerala School Teachers' Association (KSTA) is among the bodies objecting to the decision. KSTA said in a statement that the government took the decision unilaterally without considering the concerns raised against it. Making Saturdays working day would affect both teachers and students and hence scientific studies should be done before changing existing systems, it said.
Kerala Recognised Schools' Management Association former general secretary Anand Kannasa said that while the association was welcoming the decision, he was personally against it. "Now many students are spending Saturdays for tuition and extracurricular activities and take rest on Sundays. Once Saturdays are made working days, students may be burdened with tuition and extracurricular activities on Sundays and would hardly get any time for rest. Teachers would be also overburdened if Saturdays are also made working day," he said.