The Kerala government asserted in the state assembly on Tuesday that there is no crisis in plus one (class 11) admissions in the northern Malabar region. State General Education Minister V Sivankutty claimed that every year, thousands of seats remain vacant after admissions, and temporary additional batches are permitted to ensure students get their preferred streams. This statement was made in response to an adjournment notice by the Congress-led UDF opposition, which sought to discuss an alleged shortage of seats in the region. The Speaker, A N Shamseer, denied the adjournment, prompting the opposition to stage a walkout.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan challenged the government’s claim, questioning the necessity of a 30 percent marginal increase in class strength if seats were indeed vacant. He argued that such an increase would make it challenging for teachers to manage large classes of 65-75 students. Deputy Leader of Opposition P K Kunhalikutty supported Satheesan, emphasizing that despite the increase, there is still a shortage of seats. UDF MLA N Samsudheen, one of the members who moved the adjournment notice, stated that the minister’s figures were incorrect and that there is an acute shortage in all six districts of the Malabar region, particularly in Malappuram.
Samsudheen argued that temporary solutions like additional batches or marginal increases in class strength are insufficient and that permanent additional batches are necessary. He also suggested that seats should be ensured at the taluk level to prevent students from having to travel long distances. Additionally, he criticized the government for increasing the number of bars in the state while not addressing the permanent batch issue over the past eight years. In response, Minister Sivankutty reiterated that his figures were accurate and mentioned that Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan had assured that if there were still a shortage after three rounds of seat allocation, steps would be taken to address it.
Post Your Comments