Oppn UDF stages walkout in assembly over Khader Commission report

The Congress-led Opposition UDF on Wednesday staged a walkout from the Kerala assembly over the state government's decision to implement Khader Commission report. The report recommends upgrading the professional qualification of teachers and bringing the school education sector under a single directorate. Education minister C Ravindranath had yesterday said that the cabinet has already accepted the report. The Opposition has been demanding to put on hold the 'half-baked' report.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led Opposition UDF on Wednesday staged a walkout from the Kerala assembly over the state government's decision to implement Khader Commission report, which proposes single directorate for the education sector in the state.

Khader Commission report recommends upgrading the professional qualification of teachers and bringing the school education sector under a single directorate, in an effort to revamp it.

The Opposition has been demanding to put on hold the 'half-baked' report.

However, Education minister C Ravindranath had yesterday said that the cabinet has already accepted the report.

Claiming that only half of the report has been prepared and published, Leader of the Opposition, Ramesh Chennithala sought to know how the government could approve it.

"It's a half-baked report. Only half of the report has been published. How can the cabinet approve it without the rest of it? The report is based on the suggestions given by the Kerala School Teachers Association (KSTA). This is a politically motivated report," Chennithala alleged.

Meanwhile, Ravindranath told the Assembly that the move is to improve the academic standards and pointed out that the concerns of the Opposition would be addressed and the government was ready for more discussions.

Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan denied permission for the adjournment motion moved by IUML leader and MLA K N A Khader over the matter, following which the Opposition staged a walkout.

Earlier, the government had called a meeting with teaching and non-teaching staff associations to discuss the implementation of the report but majority of the representatives refused to support it.

Education minister had earlier announced that the merger would take place this year itself.

"There would be one exam commissioner for the SSLC, higher secondary and vocational higher secondary examinations," the minister had said.