The structural changes recommended in the Khader Committee report on bringing school education under a single directorate will be implemented in a time-bound manner, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said.
In a statement issued after a meeting with teacher and non-teacher organisations and managements on Wednesday, the Minister said various directorates under different heads and the differences between them were not conducive to quality education. This affected schools the most.
The Khader Committee report had recommended a single directorate, led by the Director of General Education. Similarly, it had proposed that in schools too, there should be a single head – the principal.
The organisations and managements also expressed their support for implementing the report, according to the statement.
Along with the unification at the State and school levels, offices that aided the functioning of the above also needed to be unified, such as at the sub-district, education district, revenue district, regional directorates and so on, the Minister said.
No change in pay
There would be no change in salary and service conditions or promotions of existing teachers, the Minister said. Instead, the chances of promotion could increase.
The meeting convened by the Minister was boycotted by Opposition-affiliated teacher organisations who alleged a bid to separate teachers’ fora into two planes to discuss such an important issue as the Khader Committee report.
It was ironical that the Left Democratic Front government that was opposing the National Education Policy was attempting to implement the Khader Committee report, they alleged.
Only separate directorates for primary, secondary and higher secondary education could strengthen the public education sector. The report would wreck the sector, they said, urging the government to go back on implementing it or prepare to face string protests, a statement here said.
