Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel has said the government plans to ensure that all educational institutions are reopened on June 1 from the next academic year.
Speaking after inaugurating a new building of the Thalassery Government College at Chokli here on Monday, Mr. Jaleel said the government had envisaged the plan to attract students from other States and abroad, thereby making Kerala a destination for higher education. Schools, colleges, polytechnics, and law colleges will reopen on June 1 from the next academic year as part of reforms in the higher education sector.
According to the Minister, Kerala had fared well in academic performance at high school and higher secondary levels. However, the State has failed to make a mark in higher education for several years now.
“Several students are leaving the State for higher education, and the State is not able to attract students to institutions here,” he observed. People from countries like Male visit Kerala for medical treatment, but there are no students from these countries taking up higher education in the State. Kerala is perhaps the only State where students can study without revealing their wealth, he said, adding that students could reveal their caste, religion, or creed without hesitation and continue their studies.
The Minister said steps were under way to conduct examinations and publish research papers in time. Even undergraduate and postgraduate classes start quite early during the academic year, he noted. Mr. Jaleel further said in the past, college admissions took place in the months of July, August, and September. Many students by then would have lost a semester, he observed.
