25 Saturdays to be made working days in Kerala schools; new move ignites protest

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The educational department has made 25 Saturdays working days in the educational calendar. These reforms have also left teachers' organizations fuming, who all are now protesting against the unavailability of proper holidays in the 220 academic days.

According to the calendar June 15, 22, 29; July 20, 27; August 17, 24, 31; September 07, 28; October 05, 26; November 2, 16, 23, 30; December 07; January 04, 25; February 01, 15, 22; March 1, 15, 22, will be working days.

The private school management had approached the court demanding the implementation of the KER provision of 220 academic days. The court also directed the director of public education to ensure the number of school days as per law. Following the court order, Education Minister V. Sivankutty called a meeting of teachers' union representatives on May 28th and informed them about the decision to conform with the court order.

The organizations demanded the government file an appeal and they stayed adamant about not accepting the 220 academic days’ reform.

According to the Right to Education Act, the functioning time in schools has been categorized as 800 hours for LP classes (one to five), 1000 hours for UP classes (six to eight) and 1200 hours for high school and higher secondary classes. According to teachers' organizations, schools in Kerala have a working time of five hours a day, so there will be 160 days in LP, 200 days in UP and 220 study days in high school and higher secondary schools.

Stating that the organizations can approach the court in this regard, the minister took a strict stand that 220 days would have to be implemented. KPSTA and AKSTU said they will not accept any illogical calendar revision.