THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government will close unrecognised schools only after a detailed review, education minister C. Raveendranath told the Assembly on Wednesday.
The opposition UDF demanded at least two years be given to schools to meet Right to Education Act (RTE Act) norms.
Replying to an adjournment motion notice of IUML member K. N. A. Khader, the minister said the government issued notices to 1,585 unrecognised schools on the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights directive.
“Some approached court and some had given complaints to the government. We will look into all aspects," he said. "The government has an open-minded approach as the future of thousands of students and teachers are involved.”
Even as permission was denied, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said they were not staging a walkout as the minister had assured them to look into their concerns. He said many schools were maintaining excellent standards.
While chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed that the previous education minister Abdu Rabb had wanted all unrecognised schools shut, Mr Rabb countered saying the UDF government closed none.
Presenting the notice seeking permission for the adjournment motion, Mr Khader said many government schools lacked essential amenities, and hence the government have no moral right to insist this in private schools. He also said minority institutions ran many private schools.
