Khader Committee: Kerala poised to unify high school, HSS; initiates public consultation

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala education department has initiated proceedings to frame rules for the unification of high school and higher secondary sections. The objective is to complete the process by December and to roll out the new framework from the next academic year, said a higher official with knowledge of the matter.

In this regard, the department has set a deadline for public consultation over the first report of the Khader Committee. Individuals, experts and other entities can raise objections or opinions before August.

The organisations affiliated with the ruling Left front are staunchly supporting the government’s move. The move is to make the department in compliance with the national framework, they say. While the other organisations are of the stance that unification should not be done without publishing the second part of the Khader Committee report.

KSTA state leader TKA Shafi thinks that the unification will help the schools for the common use of the facilities like labs and libraries of both high school and higher secondary.

However, AHSTA state general secretary S Manoj contends that Khader Committee failed to embrace the fact that higher secondary education exactly is not a continuation of high school. The committee has failed to recognise that the focus of higher secondary is on specialised learning, he said.

Khader Committee has also recommended slashing salaries. The opposition organisations also worry whether unification will affect the seniority determination of teachers.