General Education Minister V. Sivankutty told the Assembly on Tuesday that the government would create an additional 28,160 Plus One seats in the Malabar region to ensure that no SSLC student lost the opportunity for higher secondary education.
Mr. Sivankutty said the fear that lack of Plus One seats in northern districts would dampen the academic prospects of SSLC passouts was misplaced.
However, the Minister’s assurance failed to assuage Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition legislators. They walked out of the House stating the government was patently ill-prepared to handle the unprecedentedly high SSLC pass out percentage (99.47) in 2021.
They were also irked that Speaker M. B. Rajesh had rejected an adjournment notice moved by Indian Union Muslim League MLA M. K. Muneer to discuss the “pressing matter.”
Opposition charge
Dr. Muneer said the government had abjectly failed to plan for the vast discrepancy between the available Plus Two seats and the high number of SSLC passouts. As many as 1,12 lakh students had passed SSLC in 2021 compared to 41,906 last year.
A large number of them had scored full A plus. The government had not planned for the eventuality. Its lack of foresight had put the future of students in jeopardy. The government had denied students the customary latitude in choosing their respective line of study, he said.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the UDF’s adjournment notice reflected the uncertainty faced by parents and students. Given the shortfall in Plus One seats, students faced the prospect of a long daily commute to higher secondary institutions in neighbouring districts or taluks. The government should spare families of the inconvenience and additional financial burden.
More batches sought
Mr. Satheesan said the government should ensure a sufficient number of seats. Ideally, the government should allow more Plus One batches. He reminded the government that the High Court had decreed against overcrowding. It had mandated not more than 50 students in a class and suggested a more optimal student: teacher ratio. ICSE and CBSE students increasingly opted for the State’s Plus Two scheme to score high.
High Plus Two marks were important for students aspiring to join professional courses. The ICSE and CBSE Plus Two streams were relatively more difficult to score, and higher secondary students found the State stream easier, he said.
