The High Court has stayed for two months the implementation of the Khader Committee report on educational reforms.
It was while considering the writ petitions filed by the Nair Service Society and the Aided Higher Secondary School Teachers Association that the single judge of the High Court stayed the implementation of the report. The court noted that the State government failed to amend the Kerala Education Rules for bringing into force the reforms suggested by the committee.
State’s submission
The State had earlier submitted that the committee was asked to furnish recommendations for the exhaustive and full-scale implementation of the Right of Education Act in the State after reviewing the structural and academic aspects of the present system. The committee, submitted the government, had undertaken elaborate discussions with educationists, academicians, eminent personalities in various fields, and service and students’ organisations.
The State argued that it had addressed the first generation issues in the school education like access to schools, enrolment and lowering the drop-out rates. The challenge before the government was to assure quality education for all the students. It was for achieving the target that the government constituted the expert committee, it submitted.
The government said it intended the unification of various levels in the school education system instead of merging or amalgamating them into single entity.
There will be no change in the service conditions or monetary benefits of the employees. In fact the unification was expected to create more employment opportunities.