THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Plans to allot new Plus Two schools in 134 grama panchayats in the state where such a facility is non-existent at present and admit students in the coming academic year itself ,has been shelved for this year. The UDF leaders’ meet at Cliff House on Tuesday decided to defer the plan to the next academic year.
A sub-committee of the UDF assigned with the task of giving a list had failed to arrive at a consensus on the one hand and the massive financial burden the state exchequer will incur on the other when the state is passing through a grim financial situation, has compelled the meet to put off the plan.
‘’It will be decided at the earliest and classes will commence in the new schools from the next academic year’’,UDF convenor P P Thankachan said. However, new batches will be introduced in existing schools on a need- based pattern to address the demand for HSS courses.
“Already there are Plus Two schools in panchayats adjacent to those where there is no such facility. New batches will be introduced in such schools’’,he said.
Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb had presented a scheme in the UDF sub-committee the other day to start new schools and allot additional batches in more than 600 centres across the state, which met with stiff opposition from other members. In the UDF meet on Tuesday, it was felt that a truly need-based pattern should be essentially followed and the political spin offs of any decision on sensitive issues going haywire weighed high.
‘’The govt will have to examine the financial implications also’’,he said.
‘’It is estimated that the Malabar region is short of 75,000 Plus Two seats. This has to be addressed somehow,’’ said Thankachan, adding that steps will be taken to facilitate the demand of students to pursue their higher studies in areas near to their homes.