Education is the backbone of every civilized society. It was after the colonial intervention with western education, our educational system enhanced the power of reasoning, answers to the curiosity arising out of intellectual innovation and consciousness. Referring to the political stigma pasted around the neck of educational system of Kerala, now it is slinging back to traditional orthodoxy.
Educational history of Kerala can be traced back to 1960, when Kerala educational law was introduced by E.M.S government, sticking on to mass education and democratization of educational system. Some historians consider this as the first phase of educational development. Later in 1980s second phase of education was visualized, which resulted in free secondary education. At the same time, at national level Kothari commission report of 1968, Acharya Rama moorthy commission and Eshwar Bhai Patel report of 1978 didn’t see any viable implication. It was Rajeev Ghandi, who accepted National Educational Policy (N.E.P) in 1986 and declared the programme of action. On 1988, framework for national curriculum was created for structuring text books and syllabi.
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| Yashpal committe report |
National framework for curriculum initiated changes in educational concepts. Along with regional consideration and national framework, the power for framing syllabi and textbook were given to state government. During 1994-95, with the help of World Bank, District Primary Educational Policy (DPEP) was established at 149 districts. In Kerala this project was implemented by A.K Antony and E.T Mohammed Basheer at selected 6 districts. They also added a clause to improve the quality of primary education.
The innovative measures like learning without burden was initiated by professor Yashpal commission report. It also emphasized activity oriented learning, child friendly books; teacher’s manual, training for teachers and evaluation methodology. The new methodology was ruthlessly criticized by the right wing as it is an agenda of World Bank. They also blamed the system whichdiscarded dictation, copy writing and by-heart method of learning. But later, time proved these right wing objections were faulty and unscientific.
At the time when UDF government was hosted with power in 2001, a new syllabus for high school was under the process. But what the government illuminated was, the complete rejection of textbooks prepared for class 8. They even appointed a committee to find the errors and tried to pull out the innovative grading system. But contradictory to Muslim leagues educational approach, National curriculum framework acknowledged 1997 Kerala model reform and pleaded other states to follow Kerala model (during 2005).
On the basis of 2005 National curriculum framework, V.S Achuthanandhan government framed Kerala curriculum framework on 2007. DR.M.A Khadher committee formed special focus group and created syllabus grids. The existing textbooks are based on these grids. The new system emphasised modern methods of knowledge production, which marked the need of time. Innovations implemented by educational minister M.A BABY were truly radical. But the orthodoxy of Muslim league raised an unnecessary revolt against the 8th standard social science chapter ‘mathamillatha jeevan’, which was sparked at kalpakanchery panchayath of malappuram district. They went on to a historical drama, which translated the Malayalam word by word by word and found the meaning as “Religion has no life”!
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| K.N PANIKAR |
This controversy was investigated by K.N PANIKAR committee, which included 18 members. This commission recommended 17 suggestions which changed the traditional practices. The practice of adding the name and address of the textbook makers were included in the textbooks. The chapter “mathamillatha jeevan “was slightly altered. But the controversy initiated by Muslim league was painted as an attack on communal dignity, which resulted in the burning of textbooks on grounds and the murder of an innocent teacher by the masses.
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| Dr P.K. Abdul Aziz |
The now formed UDF government and the educational department under P.K Abdu Rabb of IUML has been suggesting the retrieval of traditional methods of education, like dictation, regular examination, copy writing etc.!!! The establishment of Dr P.K. Abdul Aziz committee was a political pseudo framework to retrieve the traditional methods. As per the wishes of educational minister, the committee was looking forward for syllabus change and textbook reform.
Stressing on the K.N Panikar report, Dr P.K. Abdul Aziz committee emphasized the syllabus change. Interestingly, nowhere in the K.N Panikar report it is said that the syllabi should be changed. For whose sake this blind lie is framed?
Dr P.K. Abdul Aziz committee report is a violation of National Curriculum framework of 2005 and rights of the children. This discarded the modern concept of educational practices. The committee was even reluctant to continuous evaluation system. Educational minister is now sticking for special exams at 5th standard and 8th standard as a benchmark provision, at the time when C.B.S.E has eliminated the public examination system even at 10th standard.
What are crucial about intolerant traditional approach of IUML are their blunder decisions. They have a system of making decisions and policies without studying the subject. This was criticized even by league MLA K.M Shaji, while league made statements on kasthurirangan report without even seeing it! It should be decided by IUML and its party members that is this way of making decisions in a democratic system? Education is not a play boy for experiments. If IUML is unaware or incapable of handling Educational department, it is better to hand over the department to Congress. IUML has a long tradition of holding unscientific methods of educational experiments. They are still in the world of Dictations and copy writing!! . Playing with public educational system is a fire work, which destroys the fabric of our nation.
IUML may be successful in bringing new schools and colleges to Malabar region and it should be acknowledged. But educational department is not only of bringing new infrastructures or schools; it is also of imbibing technology, rationality and modernity in the approach. It should meet the requirements of the time. The communal agenda of IUML is making it a lover of Malabar, but hatred to other parts of the state.
The decision of giving complete autonomy to selected collages, followed by UPA government policy should also be criticized. It is a well-planned design to dissolve the student radical movement and representation, along with the neo-liberal educational policies. The heartbeat of UPA government can be read, as it is looking for foreign direct investment in the educational sector and washing the legs of capitalist west, which will even result in the creation of a new elite class sponsored by western universities rooting in Indian soil. But for what the bloody hell, the state government is looking for pro-liberal measures. IUML even discards the contributions of C.H Mohammed Koya, who delivered a semi-educational revolution. The recent policy making of IUML on KILA also stressed on to reducing the age of consent for marriage to Muslim girls, which will result in the degradation of educational progress achieved by Muslim women, which was even an after effect of C.H Mohammed koya’s social revolution. Why licking the slippers of communal leaders for vote bank politics?
The Act of IUML by opening new government collages is true heartily welcomed. But why only at Malappuram (ARTS Collage at Vengara) was opened on aided sector? This backdoor political game initiated by P.K Kunhalikutty for allotting arts collage to (Muslim league based) trust (Cherur yathingana trust) invokes a hard in dissolvable critics.
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| K.P RAMANUNNI |
Dr Abdul Azeez committee report should be regretted. It does not even signify the qualification of former vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. The dis junction of Dr K.P Ramanunni itself states the legitimacy of the report. Educational minister Abdu Rabb should disjoin the unscientific mission of reform. Education should be promoted to encourage social justice and equality. Educational sector should not be completely privatised. The attempts to implement LABBA committee report for higher secondary reform and higher educational council report, which favours neo-liberal policy making and privatising the educational sector, should be ignored. Without properly implementing the central allotted funds for education and dis favouring packages for Government schools running out of fuel cannot be accepted at any cost. This is a time where institutions are framed with smart class rooms, at the same time it should be remembered that there are institutions even without classrooms! Reforming the curriculum and textbooks with unscientific measures licking to the educational ministers and elitist king makers wishes and deeds are deeply regretted.
Michael Foucault emphasised power lies in knowledge. It is a proven fact. Controlling the knowledge producing industry in deeds and respect to political needs should be deeply blamed. This type of knowledge producing is not only challenging the quality spectrum of our knowledge industry but also the
intellectual consciousness. Framing of history according to the political needs was seen during the term of left government as well as right government. Education should not be a party class or a communal approach. The contents of textbooks should strictly relate to national competition and relevance. Controlling knowledge industry over a limit is academic fascism and this should be disbanded.
Education should be of quality along with quantity. Neo-liberalism in educational sector will diminish the opportunities of poor and will create a new middle class. Stimulus measures of Academic fascism and unscientific methodology of reform hanging back to the stools of traditional orthodoxy is a measure to keep the masses of our state in a complete sense of ignorance and darkness.
Secretary
Department of Public Relation
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