The average number of students in Plus One classes in northern Kerala districts is going to be over 60 after the recent second supplementary allotment for admissions even as the corresponding figure in some districts in southern Kerala will be fewer than 50.
According to the data collected by the Malabar Education Movement (MEM), a non-governmental organisation based in Kozhikode, the average number of students in a Plus One class in Palakkad, Malappuram, and Kozhikode will be 63. In Wayanad and Kannur, it will be 62. In Kasaragod, it will be 61.
In districts such as Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Idukki, however, the average number will be 42, 47 each, and 45 respectively. In Thrissur, Kollam, and Ernakulam, it will be 56 and the figure for Thiruvananthpuram will be around 62.
MEM functionaries say the number of students in a class in northern Kerala schools may again go up with the recent announcement of 97 additional temporary batches to address the shortage of seats. They say the presence of such high number of pupils in a class may affect the academic quality of education.
According to a report of the P.O.J. Labba Committee, appointed by the State government to study the problems in the higher education sector, the maximum number of students in a class should be 40. The National Education Policy mandates only 30 students in a class. As per the report of the V. Karthikeyan Nair committee on reorganisation of batches in higher secondary schools, the number of students in a class should not exceed 50.
Still many left out
The MEM functionaries say the additional temporary batches will not permanently solve the problem of shortage of seats either. Though 21,538 students had applied in the second supplementary allotment for admissions from Malabar, only 4,973 managed to get seats. As many as 16,548 students did not get it. With the addition of 97 batches, even if 60 students are accommodated in a class, only 5,820 students will get seats and 10,728 others will be still left out.
The functionaries point out that 28,797 students did not get admission after the first supplementary allotment. Of them, only 21,538 turned up in the second round, which means 7,264 students have opted out of the process earlier itself.
According to the data collected by the MEM, the Nilambur Assembly constituency got seven additional temporary batches; Ponnani five; Kottakkal, Manjeswaram, Tanur and Tirurangadi got four each; Kasaragod, Kondotty, Koothuparamba, Kuttiyadi, Malappuram, Manjeri, Perinthalmanna, Tavanur, Thrikkarippur, Uduma, Vengara and Wandoor three each; Beypore, Dharmadam, Ernad, Kanhangad, Kunnamangalam, Mananthavady, Mankada, Palakkad, Thalassery, Thiruvambady, Tirur, and Vallikkunnu two each; and Balussery, Kalpetta, Kannur, Mannarkkad, Mattannur, Perambra, Taliparamba, and Sulthan Bathery one each.
They claim that no new batches have been given to Assembly seats such as Thrithala with a high number of students who are yet to get admissions. The number allocated for Malappuram and Kuttiyadi is not adequate as well.
