Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

System to monitor teaching aids

M.A. Baby

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of a controversy surrounding the distribution of a CD containing a short film to be used as a teaching aid for Hindi lessons, the Department of Education is thinking of setting up a State-wide mechanism to oversee the selection and distribution of such teaching aids.

The distribution of the CD among some teachers of the Block Resource Centre at Kodakara during a cluster meeting on February 28, 2009, had become controversial after it came to light that in addition to the short film ‘Save’ designed to be used as a teaching aid, the CD also contained two other short films, one of which showed a bishop in a poor light.

Education Minister M.A. Baby told The Hindu on Saturday that soon after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government assumed office, steps were taken to strengthen monitoring mechanisms for such things.

In the light of the ‘CD controversy,’ the Department would plug all loopholes in the existing monitoring mechanism.

“If we feel that a new, State-wide, mechanism is needed to prevent recurrence of such things, such a system would be put in place,” Mr. Baby said.

“The views of the Department of Home would also be taken into consideration before the Education Department takes a final call in this matter. Anyway, the department will conduct a detailed inquiry further to the one conducted by the DPI [Director of Public Instruction],” the Minister added.

Based on the report submitted by Director of Public Instruction A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, the Education Department had on Friday suspended Vinod Kumar, a teacher at the Thrissur DIET.

Vinod Kumar had handed over the CD to A.P. Saseendran, a trainer at the BRC Kodakara.

Mr. Saseendran, in turn, handed over copies of the CD to some teachers at the BRC during a cluster meeting on February 28.

Soon after the controversy broke, the Education Department suspended Mr. Saseendran for not following due procedure while distributing the CD.

Though the department has not unearthed any evidence so far to indicate that the inclusion of two other short films in the CD — films that were never designated to be part of any education department programme — was the result of a conspiracy, the department is disinclined to rule out such a possibility.

According to sources in the department, the possibility of a conspiracy would now have to be ruled out by the Home Department.

The DPI’s report submitted to the government on Friday points out that the CD issue cannot be seen merely as an error on the part of one or some individuals.

The working of the DIETs and the BRCs would also be subjected to closer scrutiny by the Education Department in the coming days to try and identify any procedural lapses that have got institutionalised in the functioning of these bodies.

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