Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Government urged to play proactive role

Staff Reporter

For betterment of higher education sector

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Noted educationist N.A. Karim has said that the Kerala professional colleges Act has "nothing to improve the quality of education in the State."

He was speaking at a seminar on the `challenges faced by higher education sector,' in the State organised by the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) and the All India Save Education Committee here recently.

Mr. Karim observed that many second-generation engineering colleges have good infrastructure facilities with air-conditioned classes. "They even come out with aesthetically appealing brochures to attract the students. But they have no qualified teachers. The academic knowledge of teachers working in some of our professional engineering and medical colleges is very limited," he said.

Mr. Karim was of the view that the State Government should play a more pro-active role in the education sector to ensure social justice to all. "Instead of leaving all the responsibilities to the management, the Government should play a more active role in this sector," he said.

M. Shajarkhan, president, AIDSO, said the Government decision to appoint a commission to regulate fees would be of no use as the fees to be collected from the student would be eventually dictated by the management. The Act scuttles the concept of uniform fees stipulated by the Supreme Court. With this Act, every college would have a fee structure of its own, he said. According to him, the Act would trigger a communal and social rift, as minority educational institutions were exempted from its purview.

B.R.P. Bhaskar, veteran journalist and social activist, questioned the Government logic of withdrawing itself from the higher education sector citing financial reasons. "If the Government can muster resources to build an airport or a highway, then why not a college," he asked.

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