Kochi: The Syro-Malabar Church Media Commission has raised sharp concerns over the repeated remarks made by Kerala’s Education Minister V. Sivankutty against the state’s aided education sector, particularly institutions run by Christian managements. The Commission accused the Minister of making “ill-considered and discriminatory statements” that threaten to undermine the very foundation of Kerala’s education system, a system to which private and minority-run institutions have historically made unparalleled contributions.
The Commission recalled that it was private managements, including Christian missions, that once shouldered the responsibility of public education when the state was unable to provide adequate infrastructure or accessibility. Their relentless work, it emphasized, was instrumental in transforming Kerala into a model of literacy for the entire country. Yet, despite this legacy, attempts are continuously being made to marginalize their role by suffocating them under excessive regulations and red-tape, particularly in the age of digital governance.
The Media Commission also highlighted the disparity faced by teachers in the aided sector compared to their counterparts in government schools. It described the differences in service conditions, recognition, and policy treatment as “unbearable and unjust,” and called for urgent corrective action.
The latest controversy erupted after Minister Sivankutty suggested that teachers in the aided sector should undergo a separate qualification test. This, despite the fact that aided school teachers already meet government-prescribed requirements, including passing SET, NET, and K-TET examinations. “To call for another exam exclusively for aided teachers is discriminatory, unnecessary, and amounts to insulting the thousands of qualified teachers serving in these institutions,” the Commission said.
The Media Commission reminded that this was not the Minister’s first controversial remark. His earlier comments on altering midsummer vacations and his views on prayers in schools were criticized as being made without sufficient study or caution. “To make such remarks casually, and then retract or revise them once controversy erupts, is unbecoming of the state’s Education Minister,” the Commission observed.
While Mr. Sivankutty reportedly retracted his latest comment after public outcry, the Commission questioned whether these repeated statements were merely accidental slips of the tongue or part of a larger strategy aimed at eroding the credibility of the aided education system.
The Syro-Malabar Media Commission urged political parties to take responsibility for curbing such controversial interventions that create uncertainty among teachers and students alike. “The education sector is too sensitive to be destabilized by careless words. Those in positions of authority must exercise greater wisdom and restraint,” it warned.
With this, the Commission has thrown the ball into the state government’s court, demanding clarity and accountability in policies that affect lakhs of students and teachers across Kerala’s aided education system.