People's Democracy

THE Left Democratic Front (LDF) state committee has given a call to the people of Kerala to protest the UDF policy of destroying all achievements of the state in the sphere of education. Antony government's hasty measures to privatise and commercialise the education sector was strongly opposed by the committee at its meeting at AKG Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.

In a resolution adopted in the meeting, the LDF called upon the people of the state to resist these anti people policies of the government. The resolution detailed how these measures are dangerous for the state and its people.

The way general education and free education, for which Kerala has been famous and a model to other states for decades together, is being throttled has been condemned. The government's decision to close down 2446 schools on the ground that they have become uneconomic is part of the gameplan to withdraw totally from this key area. As it goes on a reckless spree granting permission to establish unaided, self-financing educational institutions in every part of the state, these schools are bound to suffer. This phenomenon is growing by the year would lead to situation where only the wealthy of Kerala can afford education for their children, stated the resolution.

The UDF has taken a policy decision not to allow setting up of any new school or college in the government or aided sector. Further it has decided to start unaided courses in the institutions of this sector. Thus a new situation has arisen in the sphere of Kerala education-- one institution and two types of education. Two types of students and two types of status for them, too, will be the result of this policy. This will ultimately lead to the dissolution of government or aided institutions and the mushrooming of unaided, self-financing institutions in their stead. The UDF partners are eagerly waiting for the new opportunity to harvest their share of capitation fee and other perks and benefits, charged the resolution.

The government of Kerala under the UDF has decided to start 44 new Medical Colleges, 48 Dental colleges and 298 Engineering, MCA and MBA colleges in the state. And all these colleges are to be self-financing institutions. The no objection certificates (NOC), to all applicants for the colleges, have been issued by the government very liberally. It did not even examine whether any applicant is eligible in any sense to run a professional college. The absurd limits to which this government went can be seen in the fact that they have granted an NOC to start a Medical College in Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu !

The UDF decision to leave to the managements of these colleges, whenever they are established, fifty per cent share of seats for filling up is a flagrant violation of the Supreme Court guidelines. It will enable these management's to collect huge capitation fee from the candidates. This would also annihilate the professional education of the state. It is once again proved --it is money that wins under the UDF system and not merit.

The LDF state committee strongly demanded the government that professional colleges could be started only after reliable enquiries are made on the matter.

The LDF resolution also condemned the policy of the UDF government to destroy the autonomy of the Universities and turn them into mere departments of the government.

It has decided to increase the number of Syndicate members in all the four Universities of the state. It is trying to dissolve the syndicate of Kannur University because the syndicate does not share the government view on commercialisation of education. In the case of Agricultural University, the government is reducing the number of the members of the syndicate to create an artificial majority to the ruling UDF. Thus it is like a Procrustes that the UDF government is behaving in the field of education. It enhances the number of syndicate members to suit its purpose in one university while it reduces the number in another to suit its purpose.

The government is also creating unnecessary hurdles before Kaladi Sreesankara Sanskrit University by preventing its nominee members from attending the syndicate and academic council meetings. Thus the University is facing a serious crisis. Here it may be remembered that the University is under the able Vice-chancellorship of Dr K N Panikkar who is a black spot in the eyes of the central BJP government.

The government of Kerala decided to dissolve the Kerala Council for Historical Researches without any decency or decorum and tried to revive the old, outdated, imperialist maneuvered Gazetteers’ Department. The Kerala High Court has stayed the government order to dissolve the KCHR.

The new text books for the Plus Two Open course, prepared under the supervision of UDF, is not only full of errors but contains the anti-communist speeches of congress leaders K Karunakaran and his son, the KPCC President, K Muraleedharan in the text book exercise parts.

Taking into account all this, the LDF resolution called upon each and every one in the state to rise in protest against this anti-people, anti-student, anti-academic steps of the government in the field of education.