THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will revoke the ban on two schools, that had disrupted last year's Kerala State School Sports Meet, from participating in the next edition of the meet. However, action against teachers of the schools, who led the protests, will be considered only at a later stage, General Education Minister V Sivankutty informed the Assembly on Thursday.
The schools - Navamukunda Higher Secondary School, Thirunavaya, Malappuram, and Mar Basil Higher Secondary School, Kothamangalam, Ernakulam - had disrupted the valedictory function of the meet in November last year by staging protests, prompting the general education department to take action.
Sivankutty said an order will be issued next week revoking the ban. He said the two schools had expressed regret over the episode to the government in writing and had also promised that such incidents would not be repeated.
The decision to revoke the ban was taken after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took a stance that the future of the students, who are eligible to compete in national events, should not be affected due to disciplinary action, Sivankutty said.
The Minister added that Speaker of the Legislative Assembly AN Shamseer, Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, Sports Minister V Abdurahman, MLAs and a few student and youth organisations had urged him to reconsider the ban.
Sivankutty said teachers of the two schools, who were found guilty by a committee that inquired into the incident, have not given any representation to the government. He said action against the teachers, if any, will be initiated on the basis of the inquiry committee findings and the recommendations of the General Education secretary.