Students-teacher ratio in schools to be revised

KOZHIKODE: The government would revise the student teacher ratio in the upper primary and lower primary divisions to 1:30 and 1:35, respectively, said Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb. He was delivering the inaugural address at the one-day seminar on ‘Right to education and minority education’ organised by the State Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan at the Nalanda Auditorium on Monday. He also said that revision of the student-teacher ratio would resolve the issues of the protected teachers in the state. P K Abdu Rabb also said that the revision of bringing  Vth standard into the lower primary section and VIIIth standard to the upper primary section would also be completed within the coming two months.“We have requested the Central government for a relaxation to the rule which stipulates the minimum age for enrolling children to the first standard as six years, by bringing it down to five-and-a-half years.  The government will come up with measures to create new models of pre-primary schools in the state,”  said the minister.The minister also said that this government has given extra care for the education of minorities in the budget and has allocated funds to that end.Abdu Rabb added that the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan would be completely enforced in Kerala within the next academic year. Asked about the fee hike for engineering and medical management seats, the minister said enough provisions for the backward students have been made through quotas and scholarships in the colleges. He refuted the allegations that the government’s decision in favour of the Inter-church Council was a payback for the Piravom bypoll win.Kozhikode Corporation Education Standing Committee chairperson Usha Devi, who presided over the function, said that education has transcended from the gurukula model to a child centric system now. The seminar, which  discussed the flaws and scope of the implementation of the SSA project in the state, was attended by the various SSA representatives.