Representative imageThe United Democratic Front government had taken a stand beneficial to educational institutions and the educational sector. That ensured unprecedented quiet in the educational sector. Teachers or students did have no reason to agitate. The government was empathetic to their demands and ready to talk to them.
However, the Left Democratic Front has canceled many of the positive decisions taken during the UDF's tenure. That has created problems in the education sector. The matter related to the recognition of unaided CBSE schools is a case in point. Those schools will have to be closed down if the government did not recognize them. The students will be at sea.
The governments are supposed to be continuous. If there were problems with an earlier decision, the government should address them. When those reconsiderations are politically motivated, the government is not achieving anything other than wasting crores of rupees already spent on that project.
When you look at the other aspects, the previous government could declare exam results faster than this government. There was only one instance of problems caused by delayed results. That was caused by the mistakes of a few people in the Pareeksha Bhawan and the evaluation camps. We sorted it out within hours. It became an issue anyway because the media took it up.
The UDF government was also able to distribute school text books on time. Our government left office only after completing the printing of the books so as to enable this government to distribute them on time.
Another point is related to uniforms. The central government has granted Rs 400 for two pairs of uniforms for each student. The state government wants to use handloom in uniforms. I have no objection to it but khadi clothes cannot be bought for this price. Moreover, they cannot be used as the other clothes.
This government is painfully slow in matters related to teachers. The UDF government had brought in a package for teachers. The process was not followed up. The teachers' community is discontented. The government cannot improve the education sector without taking teachers into confidence and satisfying them. Even LDF-affiliated teachers' associations are on the warpath.
This government wants to split text books into two or three to lessen the burden of the children. I would call it a good move. But the students may be taken for a ride if the government is not able to keep up the initial excitement every year. The books have to be printed on time.
The UDF government revamped school text books from the 1st to the 12th standards without room for any complaints. We set up two universities and marked land for an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
This government is not doing anything. It is dismissing people working on contract even when they had been working for 18 years. There is nothing wrong in removing inefficient workers. But here the criterion is political loyalty. That will not pay.
Officers are working at snail's pace. We had also faced this problem but it has aggravated now.
The LDF government has launched a plan to make schools hi-tech. But the government is trying to raise the money through sponsors. I am a little skeptical about the feasibility of the plan. The UDF government had a similar plan where the government would pay half the cost and the sponsors the rest.
We have to wait and watch when it comes to projects declared without finding the money to run them.
The Pinarayi Vijayan government has nothing to boast of when it completes a year in office. The LDF promised to set everything right but it does not look like everything is alright. The government has succeeded in disturbing students and teachers.
About 90 percent of the projects inaugurated by this government were initiated by the UDF government. All this government does is to take credit for those plans.
(As told to Prem Udayabhanu & Ullas Ilankath)
