KOTTAYAM: Even as the state government is grappling with the controversy over the sanctioning of the new Higher Secondary schools and additional Plus-One batches, the Nair Service Society (NSS) has questioned the rationale of the decision, which came shortly after the government increased the Plus One seats in all Higher Secondary schools in the state by 20 per cent.
Speaking to ‘Express’ at the NSS headquarters, NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair said the sanctioning of additional batches and new schools after hiking the total number of Higher Secondary seats has created a peculiar situation, in which sufficient number of students will not be available in the new batches.
“The government has stipulated a minimum intake of 40 students for the new batches. We have conducted a study on the prevailing situation and have found that it is hard to meet the mark in the new batches,” he said adding that such a situation has forced the organisation to abstain from conducting admissions to new schools and additional batches. “Even an attempt to conduct admissions to the new batches without having any assurance on the stipulated number of intake will be a risky affair for the students as well.
“As the admission process is almost over, beginning of new batches can only be done by shifting students from their existing schools by securing transfer certificates. Who will take the responsibility of these students if we do not get the sufficient number of students to meet the minimum quota required in a particular batch?” he asked.
He said that such a situation could have been averted had the government not increased the seats by 20 per cent. “The situation will be aggravated if the government repeats this mistake next year as well,” he said. The government should take a clear stance before the commencement of the admission process for the next year to avoid creating further confusion and controversies.
While pointing out the lack of clarity in the government’s directives on the appointment of guest lectures to the new schools, he said that the government has not released the salaries for two guest appointments made by NSS, around three years ago. “NSS will consider conducting admission to new batches only if the government rectifies these two issues,” he said. The government had sanctioned as many as four new Higher Secondary schools and nine additional batches for NSS.