Govt to convert alternative schools to LP schools
MALAPPURAM: The government has decided to close down all alternative schools or 'badal schools', which are functioning under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) in the state and convert them to LP schools. Speaking to reporters at Tirur on Monday, the education minister P K Abdu Rabb said that the decision was taken as a result of fund crunch.
There are 372 alternative schools in the state,spread over tribal, coastal and other backward areas of the state. The schools were launched in 1997 after it was found that the majority of children below 12 years from these areas lacked school education. The learning process of the alternative schools was based on the state school syllabus, but special topics such as nature studies and personality development also were incorporated in the curriculum.
"Though the central government had stopped funding for the schools two years ago, the state government tried its maximum to maintain the alternative schools," the minister said. The government will also rearrange the staff pattern, he said.
Uncertainty was looming large over the alternative schools for last two years after the funding agency of the schools, SSA, had stopped financial assistance. Teachers of the alternative schools had also been complaining about low pay and lack of job security. They get only an honourarium of Rs 3,000 per month.
The district president of Kerala Badal School Teachers Association (KBSTA) Ummul Vahida, said that the decision of government to convert the schools to LP school would help the students of these schools, as they would be provided with better infrastructure and treated as students of main stream schools. But she added that the move raise serious concern over the future of more than 500 teachers of these schools. "We have already raised the issue with the minister and he said he would consider the issue compassionately," she said.
Meanwhile, K Ashraf representative of Students Islamic Organization (SIO), which was on warpath demanding the protection of alternative schools, said that the move would sabotage the purpose of the alternative schools.
MALAPPURAM: The government has decided to close down all alternative schools or 'badal schools', which are functioning under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) in the state and convert them to LP schools. Speaking to reporters at Tirur on Monday, the education minister P K Abdu Rabb said that the decision was taken as a result of fund crunch.
There are 372 alternative schools in the state,spread over tribal, coastal and other backward areas of the state. The schools were launched in 1997 after it was found that the majority of children below 12 years from these areas lacked school education. The learning process of the alternative schools was based on the state school syllabus, but special topics such as nature studies and personality development also were incorporated in the curriculum.
"Though the central government had stopped funding for the schools two years ago, the state government tried its maximum to maintain the alternative schools," the minister said. The government will also rearrange the staff pattern, he said.
Uncertainty was looming large over the alternative schools for last two years after the funding agency of the schools, SSA, had stopped financial assistance. Teachers of the alternative schools had also been complaining about low pay and lack of job security. They get only an honourarium of Rs 3,000 per month.
The district president of Kerala Badal School Teachers Association (KBSTA) Ummul Vahida, said that the decision of government to convert the schools to LP school would help the students of these schools, as they would be provided with better infrastructure and treated as students of main stream schools. But she added that the move raise serious concern over the future of more than 500 teachers of these schools. "We have already raised the issue with the minister and he said he would consider the issue compassionately," she said.
Meanwhile, K Ashraf representative of Students Islamic Organization (SIO), which was on warpath demanding the protection of alternative schools, said that the move would sabotage the purpose of the alternative schools.
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