Children yet to dressed up for schools in Kerala

KOTTAYAM:
Students of government and aided schools are yet to get uniforms for last year, as the new academic year is about to begin. The reason cited by the District Project Officer A Karunakara is that the headmasters are not cooperating for the scheme.

Students at a government school in Kottayam, Kerala.

“We already released funds to the Block Programme Officers, but they said that the headmasters are not willing to receive the money saying that it is impossible to buy two pairs of uniform with Rs 400, which eventually led to the delay in the distribution process,” describes Mr Karunakara.

Muttambalam UP School Headmistress Merima Abrahim said, “Our students should have got uniforms before Onam last year. Since we neither got sufficient fund nor the materials, we asked them to wear the old uniforms.”

“Parents are already complaining about the quality of uniforms. How can it be possible to provide two pairs of uniform with such less money?” she questioned.

Mr N R Sunder of National Textile Corporation, who got the tender to supply quality materials for the school uniform defined that the tender was finalised by October last year, but the order has not been delivered yet as the state government is idle on the issue.

Kerala School Teacher's Association and Student Federation of India jointly organised a protest in October last year alleging the Education Department of involving in corruption regarding the school uniform scheme. They alleged that the government is supporting a private textile company who was ready to supply one pair of uniform worth Rs 198 whereas National Textile Corporation (NCT) bids Rs 185 for the same. Later the tender goes to NCT.

No money to buy uniforms for school children

KOTTAYAM: The funds provided by Sarva Shikshya Abhiyan (SSA) for school uniforms for the students of the government and aided schools in the state is falling short of cost and quality.

The scheme is meant for all girls, SC and ST students, and boys from below poverty line families from class one to eight for which SSA is providing Rs 400 for each students to get two pairs of uniform every year.

The District Project Officer A Karunakara said: “There are 1,00,168 students identified to be given uniforms in this district. The amount provided by SSA is not enough as within Rs 400, it is quite impossible to get two pairs of uniforms for the students.”

The headmasters of each government and aided schools were provided the money from whom it goes to the Parents Teacher's Association (PTA) and the School Management Committee (SMC) which is set up for every school. Mr Karunakara said it is the responsibility of the concern headmasters, PTAs and SMCs to get good materials from the market and give ready made uniforms to the students.

Head Mistress of Muttambalam Upper Primary School Merima Abrahim said there are 67 students in her school and they are wearing the old uniforms provided in 2012. “It is quite impossible to provide a ready made uniform to a student of class eight within Rs 400, but it is possible for the students of class one as they need less materials,” she said.

As per the guidelines issued by the Kerala Education Department, all the students were to given uniforms before Onam last year, but it was delayed because of the allegations of corruption in the e-tender process for which the Kerala School Teacher's Association and Students Federation of India launched protest against the government in October last year after which the tender goes to the National Textile Corporation.

Students to get new books this year

KOTTAYAM: Amid loud protests from various teacher's groups, the reforms into the Kerala Curriculum Framework 2007 has turn into reality as from the next educational year students will be provided with revised textbooks. (32)

An expert committee was appointed by the Kerala Government, headed by Dr P K Abdul Azis recommended reforms in the current curriculum. The committee observed that the KCF 2007 had weakened the relevance of teacher in the classroom. They remarked that there are shortcomings with regards to the content of textbooks and also excessive stress on analytical instil which creates obstacles in the teaching process. It is based on activity oriented learning and is student-centric.

The report was introduced in July 2013 and draws objections from various groups of teachers in the state. Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad opined that the new reforms will nullify the concept of learning without burden.

Speaking over the phone Prof K A Hashim, Director of The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) said, “We have conducted periodical meetings with various teachers group and come to the conclusion of revising the curriculum.”

“All the suggestions made by the committee has been accepted by the education department, the implementation is going on and the new textbooks will be introduced by April 2014,” he added.

According to the new reforms literary classics in Malayalam from Ezhuthachan onwards will now find place in textbooks. Contributions made by social reformers like Mannathu Padmanabhan for the educational and social development in Kerala will be included in the new curriculum.