THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three years after a committee headed by Dr M A Khader submitted the first volume of its report on reforms in the school education sector, the government has now sought suggestions from “all sections of people” on the panel’s recommendations.
A section of the academic community has called the exercise a ‘farce’ as the committee’s major recommendations on structural reforms — including bringing school education under one directorate — have already been implemented.
It was in 2019 that the ‘Khader committee’, constituted in 2017, submitted to the government a set of reforms in the school education sector as part of implementation of the Right of Education Act (RTE) in the state. A section of teachers had complained that the primary objective of constituting the committee was to merge the three school directorates -- public instruction, higher secondary and vocational higher secondary -- into one, just for administrative convenience.
The government’s decision to seek suggestions from the public would be an exercise in futility, it is pointed out. In 2018, the Khader panel took the feedback of teachers’ associations, students and parents, but in October that year, the terms of reference of the panel were changed. Three months later, the first edition of the Khader committee report came out without taking into account the views of the stakeholders on the changed terms of reference.
“The latest move is aimed at warding off any legal scrutiny in future for not conducting proper consultation with stakeholders before implementing such sweeping reforms,” said Anil M George of Higher Secondary School Teachers’ Association.
However, the general education department has defended the move. “The Khader committee’s recommendations relating to administrative matters alone have been implemented. The latest exercise is to seek the feedback of the society, particularly students and parents,” said general education secretary A P M Mohammed Hanish.
Meanwhile, another section has questioned how the recommendations of the Khader committee would help in improving the teaching-learning process in schools. “Apart from suggesting structural changes, integration of directorates and creation of posts, the Khader committee report does not offer any practical suggestions to improve the quality of school education. The whole exercise is nothing but wasteful expenditure,” said S Manoj, of the Aided Higher Secondary Teachers’ Association.
According to RTI documents, the Khader committee’s term was extended six times since its formation in 2017 but it has not come out with a final report. “This gives credence to the allegation that the exercise of constituting the panel was only to give suggestions to suit the government’s administrative convenience and not to bring any qualitative reform in the school education sector,” Manoj said.
KHADER COMMITTEE
Key Recommendations
Criticism