2 days ago
Granting holiday to school for SFI rally triggers row
Kozhikode: The decision by Kozhikode Medical College Campus Govt Higher Secondary School to grant leave to the high school section on Monday following request of the SFI has triggered a controversy.
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A holiday was granted to the high school section to allow students to attend the public rally held to mark the conclusion of the four-day SFI national conference.
Headmaster Sunil stated that SFI activists had submitted a strike notice, requesting cooperation from schools to facilitate student participation in the rally.
"Since they had served a formal notice, we decided to call off classes for the high school section to avoid any issues for the school.
However, regular classes continued for the LP and UP sections," Sunil said.
High school classes were dismissed at 10.30am. Allegations surfaced that SFI activists mobilized students during school hours to increase turnout at the rally, which was attended by chief minister
.
The headmaster said when he had called police in a similar situation last year, police had asked why we could not cooperate with protesters and why create needless issues.
On Sunday, the headmaster had sent a message to the parents' WhatsApp group indicating the possibility of a holiday. The message also advised parents and auto drivers not to leave until it was confirmed that the school would close only after 10.30am.
Following the incident, workers of the Kerala Students Union staged a protest at the DDE office, alleging that the school's decision violated Kerala Education Rules. The protest was called off after the deputy director of education assured in writing that a report had been sought from the district educational officer and appropriate action would be taken based on its findings.
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KSU state president Aloshious Xavier demanded that the general education minister must clarify whether he approves granting of holiday to school if any student organization gives a notice.
"It is utterly unacceptable to shut down a govt school to boost participation in the rally of a student organization. If SFI members want to attend their conference, that's fine. But suspending classes for an entire school is undemocratic and infringes on students' rights," he said.
