The State government has condemned a decision of the Lakshadweep administration to convert all schools under its Department of Education from Malayalam to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) English medium.
Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty wrote a letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan seeking his intervention in “safeguarding the educational diversity and rights of the children in Lakshadweep.”
The Lakshadweep administration’s move, Mr. Sivankuty wrote, would jeopardise the diverse educational choices that should be available to the students. The directive that the children should exclusively study the CBSE syllabus was “a direct infringement on their fundamental right to education.”
34 schools
There were 34 schools on the island with a total student population of 12,140. These students benefited from a mix of educational options, including the Kerala syllabus in Malayalam and English medium and the CBSE syllabus in select schools. The majority of the children on the island were enrolled in schools following the Kerala syllabus, he pointed out.
“It is disheartening to note that this directive overlooks the fundamental principle that children’s education, especially at the primary level, should consider their socio-cultural background.”
By imposing a single curriculum, the Lakshadweep administration was neglecting the essence of the Right to Education Act that emphasised the importance of education that aligns with the cultural context of the students. The decision was particularly concerning as it denied the children on the island the right to receive education in the language of their choice, Mr. Sivankutty said.
Inclusive approach
He urged Mr. Pradhan’s intervention to review and reconsider the directive, ensuring that the educational rights of the students in Lakshadweep were upheld and a more inclusive approach was adopted.
“With the aim of elevating the standards of education and aligning with the dynamic educational landscape, the Department of Education, Union Territory of Lakshadweep, has resolved to transition SCERT Kerala Malayalam medium classes to CBSE English medium,” the order of the Director of Education of the Union Territory had said.
All schools under the department would exclusively admit students under the CBSE English medium stream from grade 1 onwards beginning the 2024-25 academic year, it said.
