Malappuram: As many as 130 schools in the district which follow the Muslim calendar may soon move to the general academic calendar to spare the children the hot summer school days. The district panchayat administration has initiated efforts in consultation with the civic bodies to shift the remaining ‘Mappila’ schools, which work a month during the April-May summer vacation, to the general calendar citing the heat waves and sun burns besides a number of seasonal ailments reported in recent years.
“This will not be forced upon such schools. We will discuss this move with the local body chiefs, head teachers of schools concerned and PTAs to reach a consensus. After this, we will approach the government to take a final call,” said Mr A.P. Unnikrishnan, president of the district panchayat, Malappuram. Following two calendars has serious repercussions on students’ studies and health alike, he said. The schools which follow Muslim calendar opt for vacation during Ramzan and instead work in April. Besides, Fridays are also holidays for the Mappila schools. The majority of such schools in the districts have opted out of the Muslim calendar during the past two decades and now follow the general calendar.
The Kerala Private (Aided) School Managers Association (KPSMA) has welcomed the move of the district panchayat. “The majority of the parents will have no reservation against the move to shift to general calendar. Interestingly, the schools run by the prominent Muslim organisations also follow the general calendar....
The issues can be resolved through consultations between school managements and parents,” said Mr Nasar Edarikode, state secretary of KPSMA. He also pointed out the issues such schools face during the summer months like shortage of water and dusty climate.The schools which had shifted to the general calendar earlier experienced visible changes and improvements in the academics as well as the output of the students, said Mr Muhammed Haris, a national teacher award winner and head teacher of AUP School, Munduparamba. “I had faced strong opposition against our move to the general calendar in 2005 which had led to a major controversy. But the result was great. The improvements in the quality of students led to increase in the number of admissions and divisions,” Mr Haris said.
