Kerala completes survey of unrecognised schools identifies 827 institutions

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 28 (PTI) The survey of unrecognised schools in Kerala has been completed, and further measures are set to follow in the coming weeks, General Education Minister V Sivankutty said on Thursday.
    Preliminary findings indicate that there are 827 unrecognised institutions that remain outside the formal education system, the minister said in a statement.
    He added that further actions on this matter would be initiated soon.
    "A meeting has been convened by the chief minister to discuss the issue, and a list of schools along with available details will be handed over to him," Sivankutty said.
    He emphasised that no activities negatively impacting the physical or mental well-being of students, such as body-shaming, should be tolerated by teachers or school authorities.
    "Similarly, issues such as demanding payment of transportation fees or any other charges should not be addressed in classrooms in the presence of other students. Teachers and school authorities should directly communicate these matters to parents, as most of them now have access to mobile phones," Sivankutty said.
    He also stated that no student should be excluded from school excursions for financial reasons.
    "Guidelines concerning school trips and personal celebrations should be implemented immediately. The Director of Public Education has been tasked with submitting a report on the measures taken in this regard within a week," the minister said.
    Stating that school excursions are often reduced to mere recreational trips, with some schools charging exorbitant amounts and causing financial strain on economically disadvantaged students, he said such excursions should be organised in a way that is accessible to all students.
    The expenses of accompanying teachers and PTA members during school trips should be borne by the respective PTA committees or staff management committees, Sivankutty said.
    The minister noted that individual celebrations, such as birthdays of staff or students, are being organised in schools, with students being pressured to bring gifts and discriminatory behaviour towards those who fail to bring gifts also coming to light.
    "Therefore, school authorities are instructed to take strict action to avoid such celebrations that impose financial burdens on students," the minister directed.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)