No reservation in Plus One seats at aided schools as students from backward communities lose over 50,000 seats

KOCHI: Despite the government paying salaries in aided higher secondary schools, the government's unwillingness to abide by the reservation in the plus one seats allotted there is a major setback for the backward communities. There is no reservation to the economically weaker sections, which was implemented last year.

In government higher secondary schools, the reservation is 58 per cent, including 28 per cent for backward classes, 20 per cent for Scheduled Castes and 10 per cent for students from economically weaker sections. The remaining 42 per cent is on open merit. However, of the 60 per cent seats owned by the government in aided schools, 40 per cent are being converted to open merit and 20 per cent to Scheduled Caste reservation.There is no reservation for backward classes. In this year's Plus One admissions, 52,983 students in the backward sections and 18,922 students in the economically weaker sections lost their chance.

As a result, Aided Plus One entry is becoming one of the biggest reservation coups in Kerala. 58% of seats in government schools are reserved.

Out of the total 2078 schools in the state, only 819 are owned by the government.

There are 361 unaided schools and 52 residential, special and technical schools which are not covered. At the same time, backward and EWS reservation is being implemented in Aided Vocational Higher Secondary with limited seats only.

Major loss to the backward class

The vast majority of schools in the aided sector are in minority status. With the loss of reserved seats, the seats eligible for the Hindu and backward sections of the state are being alienated.

The government's foul play

Although reservation injustice in the aided sector has been brought to the attention of governments from time to time, no action has been taken. In 2013, at a meeting of department heads chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Niveditha P Haran, the then Director of Backward Community Welfare, VR Joshi, called for the implementation of backward reservation in the aided sector as well. It was decided to bring it to the attention of the government but nothing happened.