Unaided schools must adhere to govt academic calendar: V Sivankutty

Thiruvananthapuram: General Education Minister V Sivankutty said that the government will urge unaided institutions that use the state syllabus to closely follow the same academic schedule as government and aided schools.

According to him, the government also intends to take serious measures, like cancelling the no-objection certificate (NOC) of unaided schools that collect large donations at the time of admission.

According to Sivankutty, the government has decided to crack down on unaided schools after discovering that they were promoting students to higher classes before the academic year had even begun and conducting classes and tests according to their whims and fancies.

“I came to know about such practices after a parent approached me with a recommendation for admission of his son to Class XI of an unaided school, months before the SSLC exam began,” he said. Additionally, Sivankutty criticised the practice of administering written exams for admittance to Class I, which puts a great deal of mental stress on both parents and children.

“The government will ensure that classes and terminal examinations in all schools follow a uniform calendar. The general education department will strictly enforce the norm,” the minister asserted, TNIE reported.

Lida Jacob, a former general education secretary who was instrumental in creating the state's Right to Education regulations, applauded the government's action.

“As per the RTE Act, unaided schools have to comply with the directions of the state government. Adhering to a common calendar will be beneficial for the students in unaided schools who are denied vacations and holidays and put under a lot of stress,” she opined.

The minister stressed that, regardless of whether the school adheres to the state curriculum or not, harmful behaviours like collecting enormous quantities of money as donations will be stopped. He emphasised that the state government's NOC is necessary for schools connected to national boards, like the Council for ICSE or CBSE, to operate.

“We will place stringent conditions for issuance of NOC by the department. Schools indulging in unhealthy practices will be denied NOC, which will eventually lead to their disaffiliation,” Sivankutty warned.

The former general education secretary, however, questioned if the government could completely stop schools from charging high fees for admission as long as parents are prepared to pay. “The government can act on the basis of complaints. But the schools will legitimise the funds as a voluntary donation even if any parent comes forward as a whistleblower,” she added.