By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala’s leader of opposition Oommen Chandy Tuesday said that the attempts by the V.S. Achuthanandan government to give more powers to the local bodies over the state’s government schools would be opposed at all costs.
The general education department presently controls the schools.
“Of late the Left government has begun steps to give more powers to local bodies like village councils and municipal corporations to even interfere in the day to day administration of all government and aided schools in the state,” Chandy told reporters.
“The rules passed by the A.K. Antony government in 1995 gave powers to the local bodies to look into the infrastructure aspects but not into the issues of discipline, curriculum and school timings. All such issues were being governed through a common guideline of the education department,” he said.
The opposition has already raised this issue both inside and outside the assembly.
Chandy claimed things had gone out of control citing an incident where a village council member allegedly walked into a classroom in Kannur district and said that that it was his responsibility to see that the classes were going on properly.
“The Karakulam village council had even brought out seven text books which they prepared to teach in the schools coming under the council. What I am told is that after protests, the books were withdrawn. This is nothing but a ploy by the Communists to destroy the general education sector,” said Chandy.
Meanwhile, Kerala’s Education Minister M.A. Baby said that they were just going ahead with an order brought out by the Chandy government.
“This is a blatant lie,” Chandy retorted. “It is true that we had brought out an order but it was not meant for village council members to oversee the functioning of schools.
“It was an order that said that the council members should oversee the work of government officials where they are authorised and council members have no authority in the day to day administration of schools,” he reiterated.