827 unrecognised schools in State, says Minister for General Education Sivankutty

Survey completed; CM convenes meeting to discuss issue

As many as 827 schools are functioning in the State without recognition as per a preliminary count, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said.

The Minister told mediapersons here on Thursday (November28) that a survey of unrecognised schools in the State had been completed. Further action would be taken soon.

The Chief Minister had convened a meeting to discuss the issue. The list of unrecognised schools and their details would be handed over to him, Mr. Sivankutty said.

Body shaming

The Minister warned that teachers or school authorities should not engage in body shaming and other such behaviour that adversely affected students’ physical and mental well-being.

Similarly, teachers or school authorities should not ask students any questions about fee, including transportation fee, in the classroom in the presence of other children. Such queries should be directed to parents directly as most of them had mobile phones these days.

The Minister underlined that no student in a school should be excluded from study tours for financial reasons. The Director of General Education (DGE) had been asked to submit a report on steps taken to implement guidelines on schools’ study tours and personal celebrations, he said.

He pointed out that study tours often turned into recreational tours. Moreover, huge sums are charged for such tours in some schools. Students from economically disadvantaged families are unable to pay these, and could experience emotional distress. Study tours should, therefore, be arranged in a manner that all students can afford it. Expenses of teachers or parent-teacher members accompanying students on study tours should be borne by the staff management committee or PTA committee concerned, he said.

The Minister said students were being forced to get gifts for individual celebrations such as birthdays of students or school staff, and those who did not bring gifts were being discriminated against. “School authorities should take stringent steps to avoid celebrations that create a financial burden,” the Minister said.

Published - November 28, 2024 06:48 pm IST