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Students hit as Kerala govt bungles

D Jose in Trivandrum

The bungling of the pre-degree de-linking by the Kerala government has hit thousands of students, who passed the 10th standard examination this year.

The students, especially those who passed with low marks, will lose two months, with the high court quashing a list of 360 higher secondary or plus two schools sanctioned by the government for 2000-2001.

Though the court directed the government to ensure that classes start by the first week of August, after reconsidering all 1429 applications for permission to start the plus two course, academic circles expressed doubts, in view of the complex process involved.

A division bench of the high court, consisting of Chief Justice A V Sawant and Justice K S Radhakrishnan, cancelled the list, pointing out the arbitrariness in selecting 360 of 1429 schools. The new list will have to be drawn up by district-level committees comprising district collectors, deputy directors of education and district panchayat presidents.

The committees need time to study facilities in 1429 schools as per norms, before making any recommendation.

The delay will obviously leave over 50,000 students, who are seeking admission to these schools, at a disadvantage. Besides the loss of two months, they have to contend with inadequate facilities in schools for higher secondary education. Most schools included in the original list lacked library and laboratory facilities for pursuing science.

They obviously will not be able to cope with students who have got admissions in schools, where facilities have been made available by now. More than half the schools to be sanctioned higher secondary status depend on government funds.

This year's budget has only Rs150 million, though Education Minister P J Joseph has been claiming that funds would not be a constraint.

The political fallout of this muddle is unpredictable now. The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front, which had alleged corruption in the sanctioning of the course, has been agitating for more than a month, demanding a judicial inquiry and resignation of Joseph.

The high court judgement on Friday has now emboldened the opposition to demand the E K Nayanar government's resignation.

The government, which has been sitting pretty after adjourning the State Assembly session till July 17 following disruption of proceedings by the opposition, will come under renewed attack, when the House resumes its session on July 18.

The government appears to have been shaken by the judgement, which has laid bare its claim that it had adhered to norms while sanctioning schools. However, while allowing a batch of writ petitions challenging the sanctioning of plus two courses by the government, the court observed that the government had given a go-by to all norms.

The opposition, which had alleged that the government had violated the norms to facilitate corruption, is expected to step up its agitation inside and outside the Assembly.

The target of the opposition agitation will most probably be the education minister, who has been steadily losing support from ruling constituents.

Though the Communist Party of India-Marxist has been backing him, a section of the party feels that he must resign. The LDF state committee, which is to meet shortly, is likely to take up the issue.

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