he State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to permit the 35 controversial minority schools, established under a 1985 Central scheme, to continue functioning. It was also decided to help them set up basic infrastructure facilities.
The Cabinet decision, in effect, provides all the benefits of an aided school to these schools, which were originally 41 in number. Six had to be closed down.
The schools were established in 1986 under the Area Intensive Programme of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development aimed at the uplift of the Muslim community. The Central scheme was later discontinued, but the State government has been paying salaries from 2003. Successive governments continued to extend concessions.
The LDF government decided to give additional benefits to the staff of these schools. In June 2012, the Chandy government decided to give 35 of these functioning schools aided status.
The decision hit a controversial trough since many of the schools were owned by trusts and individuals linked to the Indian Union Muslim League.
The UDF, which was struggling at the time to find a balance in its communal equations, was forced to drop the decision on aided status.
Now, the Cabinet has ratified the decision to extend financial assistance for the schools to improve their basic infrastructure.
The Chief Minister, however, did not disclose another part of the Cabinet decision — approval for appointments of 70 teachers made after 2003. It was left to the Education Minister’s office to issue a statement about the approval of the appointment of 70 teachers, many in lower primary and upper primary schools established under the AIP programme.
The statement said five of the 32 higher secondary schools were functional currently.
Financial assistance for
schools to improve
infrastrucure
