High school timings revised for benefit of students: Kerala Minister Sivankutty
Kerala General Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Thursday said that the timings of high schools in the State were revised for the benefit of students and there was no fault on the part of the government.
The Minister said that under the revised timings, the school hours have only been extended by 15 minutes in the morning and afternoon sessions, except on Fridays, for 16 days a month.
'Then only we will get the required hours equal to 220 teaching days which is a requirement for completing the prescribed curriculum of high schools as per the national education calendar and state education rules,' Mr. Sivankutty said while speaking to reporters here.
He was responding to a query by reporters regarding the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama raising concerns about the revised timings at an event on Wednesday where Chief Minister Pinayari Vijayan was present.
Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, known as Samastha, is an association of eminent Sunni scholars who enjoy the highest support base among Kerala Muslims and it had expressed concern that the revised schedule would affect madrassa education for around 12 lakh students.
Mr. Sivankutty said the government was not going to reject their concerns as it was not opposed to any community's religious beliefs and practices.
He said that the government was open to holding discussions with them, but the decision to revise the timings was taken on the basis of court orders and central and state education laws which cannot be ignored.
'Let them give suggestions and we will consider the same. We are not rigid on the issue,' the Minister said.
Based on panel report
Mr. Sivankutty also said that last year, when he had fixed the teaching days to 209 in the State, there was a lot of opposition to it, following which he had reduced it to 205.
'But some teachers' organisations affiliated with the UDF went to the Kerala High Court, which in turn directed the setting up of a high-power committee to examine the matter. The committee gave its report which has been accepted by the High Court also,' he said.
It was based on the panel's report that the timings were revised, the Minister added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
CM Pinarayi Vijayan: No unholy ties or understanding by LDF
MALAPPURAM: Attacking the Jamaat-e-Islami-UDF relationship, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday accused the UDF of allying with those who have alienated a large section of society. At a public meeting held in Chungathara as part of the Nilambur by-election campaign, Pinarayi asked the Muslim League leaders to recall what Panakkad Thangal did when they were invited for the inauguration of Jamaat-e-Islami's newspaper and channel. Pinarayi asked the UDF leadership to consider how adopting an opportunistic position by aligning with Jamaat-e-Islami will affect the country. They should also examine the dangers it will cause in the future, he said. 'Is it enough to just earn benefit for the time being? Shouldn't they take a stand that takes into account the welfare and future of the country? This (alliance) is not conducive to that,' the chief minister said. He said no such 'unholy understanding or ties' will be formed by the LDF. 'We are presenting crystal clear LDF politics to the country. The LDF does not need the blessings or support of any separatist, sectarian, or communal force,' Pinarayi declared. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan accused the chief minister of openly promoting communalism. Satheesan pointed out that Pinarayi was the leader who had earlier held a press conference praising Jamaat-e-Islami. 'The chief minister changes his colour like a chameleon. No chief minister has ever changed their statements like this. Two CPM MPs won with the support of Jamaat-e-Islami,' the Congress leader alleged. Satheesan also clarified that the UDF has taken a unanimous decision to accept Jamaat support.
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Assam issues shoot-at-sight order at night amid ongoing communal tension in Dhubri
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that shoot-at-sight orders will be in force at night in Dhubri district, bordering Bangladesh, as a "communal group" is trying to create disturbances which the government will not protested in Dhubri town on Sunday after pieces of meat were found near a temple. Prohibitory orders were imposed in the town on Monday and it was withdrawn the next chief minister visited Dhubri on Friday to review the situation. ''The order for shoot-at-sight will be issued immediately after I reach Guwahati today and anybody coming out at night or throwing stones will be arrested,'' he Action Force (RAF) and CRPF personnel will be deployed in the district and all criminals in Dhubri will be arrested, he said."All those who have taken law into their hands will be dealt with severely,'' the chief minister law and order situation in Dhubri has been challenging for the last one week, he said that on the day after the Bakrid festival on June 7, a cow's head was found in front of the Hanuman Temple in the district headquarters, following which both Hindus and Muslims appealed for peace and next day, however, a cow's head was again kept in front of the temple and stones were thrown at night, Sarma added.A day before Bakrid, an organisation named 'Nabin Bangla' had put up "provocative posters" highlighting their aim to include Dhubri in Bangladesh, Sarma said.''A communal group has become active in Dhubri to create disturbances and after coming to know about it, I have come to Dhubri and there will be shoot-at-sight orders in force at night in the district,'' he criminals in Dhubri will be arrested and all those who have taken law into their hands will be dealt with severely, he during Bakrid, a section of people did consume beef but this time thousands of cattle have been brought from West Bengal and a ''new beef mafia'' has emerged in Dhubri who procured thousands of animals just ahead of the festival, Sarma alleged.''This has come to my knowledge and I have ordered an inquiry into this. I have directed the authorities to arrest who has started this cattle trade,'' Sarma said that next year, he himself will come to Dhubri on the day of Eid and stay the next day as cannot allow a section of the community to create such disturbances. Our government will not tolerate this and allow Dhubri to go out of our hands,'' Sarma said that if required he would guard the Hanuman Mandir for the whole night.''We are fully committed to ensure enforcement of law and order in the district and defeat all communal forces,'' he Watch IN THIS STORY#Assam
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
No foreign military leader invited to the June 14 parade: White House
The White House has categorically denied reports that any foreign military leader, including Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, has been invited to the upcoming U.S. Army parade in Washington, marking the 250th anniversary of the American armed forces. 'This is false. No foreign military leaders were invited,' a White House official said, refuting multiple media reports from South Asia. The reports claimed that Mr. Munir would be a guest of honour at the June 14 celebration, which is also U.S. President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. Derek Grossman, a senior defence analyst at RAND Corporation, criticised the rumoured invitation, calling it a 'diplomatic setback' for India. 'For India, the Trump admin's invitation to Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir is tantamount to inviting an avowed anti-India terrorist,' he said in post on X. Congress responds India's Opposition Congress Party described it as a diplomatic setback for the Modi Government. 'Failed Marshal Asim Munir, who gave such inflammatory, incendiary and provocative statements, talked about the two-nation theory, Hindus and Muslims, and there is a direct relation between his statement and what happened in Pahalgam on April 22. Same Asim Munir gets a special invitation to go to America on U.S. Army Day on June 14, which is incomprehensible,' the Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. In anticipation of Mr. Munir's visit, the U.S. chapter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had announced a protest rally in front of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington on Saturday. 'PTI USA, alongside 12+ Pakistani diaspora organisations, is holding a massive protest in Washington DC to oppose #UndeclaredMartialLawin Pakistan and to stand against tyranny and raise our voice for a free and fair Pakistan,' it said. (
