KOCHI: It seems the woes afflicting the CBSE schools are not going to end anytime soon. Even as around 400 schools are still awaiting the recognition certificate from the state government, the decision of the board to increase the affiliation fee to Rs 10 lakh has come as a hard blow.
According to Ibrahim Khan, president, Kerala CBSE Schools Management Association, it seems everything is against the CBSE schools. “The Rs 10 lakh affiliation fee will see to it that no more new schools are launched. And even if any are launched, the lackadaisical attitude of the state government in issuing recognition certificate will ensure the schools never really take off,” he said.
These issues mushroomed after the CBSE decided to vest the authority of issuing NoCs and recognition certificates besides many other procedures with the state governments, he said.“In the meeting that was held by the managements of the CBSE schools, it was decided to approach the state government and request the appointment of a liaison officer,” said Ibrahim.
Once such an officer is appointed, transparency can be achieved in the entire process, he added. “How can the government not take a positive outlook when it comes to CBSE schools? There are over 1,500 schools catering to around 15 lakh students in the state. Don’t they have the right to education?” he said.
Of course, the government wants to promote schools run by it, he said. “And the government officers have been working hard towards attracting more students to schools run by it. The mission has also seen success, especially in the rural and suburban areas where the lure of smart classes and other facilities has weaned students away from CBSE schools,” he said.
These government schools don’t have to worry about funds, he added. “That is not the case of the CBSE schools. We work on funds procured from within. But even then, it should be taken note in the NEET 2018, of the 16,000 CBSE students who appeared for the exam, all cleared it. Of the 76,000 who appeared only 5,000 or so managed to clear the test,” he said.