‘The future of 33 girl students is at stake due to the contradictory stand of the authorities’
General Education Minister V. Shivankutty had recently said that Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) can give a call to convert only girls’ and only boys’ schools into co-educational institutions. The PTA at the century-old Government Ganpath High School for Boys in Kozhikode city says some officials are blocking their efforts to do so.
The school, established by Ganpat Rao in 1886, is one of the oldest schools in the city. It has illustrious alumni like former Union Minister VK Krishna Menon, freedom fighter-editor KP Keshav Menon and writer SK Pottekt. It has been almost five years that teachers and PTAs are working hard to get government permission to admit girls in the school. PTA officials claim that the future of 33 girl students is at stake due to the contradictory stand taken by the deputy directors of education in Kozhikode.
The PTA General Council had in 2016 decided to allow girl students admission in the school. On the basis of verbal permission from the then DDE, 33 girl students got admission from next year. However, the official permission was elusive due to some other technical reasons. The officer’s successors were not inclined to seek any permission as the Right to Information Act gives students the option to attend school in their neighbourhood. The number of girl students was considered while fixing the posts of teachers that year. Various facilities were arranged for the girl students in the school premises also.
However, the incumbent DDE took a stand against admitting girls. Seven girl students who got admission in this academic year were to be given transfer certificates. There are 33 students in class 10 and class 9. If the government does not give their approval, it is not sure whether they will be able to write the SSLC exam or not.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Education (DGE) has sought an explanation from the District Education Officer (DEO) as well as the headmaster of the school as to why the girl students were admitted without government approval. Sources in the education department said that the school administration has just sent an application to make it a co-ed institute.
PTA president KG Sabu said another government school in Madapally had sought similar approval from the government in the same period. He said he was recently granted permission. Mr. Sabu said that they are waiting for the details of the DEO’s report to the DGE. “If the authorities reject our demand, we will take legal recourse,” he said.
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