As political parties in central Travancore prepare for the upcoming local elections, a familiar and persistent issue—the ongoing crisis in the aided schools sector—is once again taking center stage in public debate.
School managements, with the Catholic Church at the forefront, are vehemently opposing the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s approach to appointments for differently-abled candidates in aided schools. This dissent has been amplified through an editorial in Deepika, which explicitly warned that unaddressed concerns of teachers and Asha workers could lead to widespread protests against the current administration.
SC directive
Kerala Congress MLA Mons Joseph highlighted that Education Minister V. Sivankutty’s assertion that this crisis primarily impacts Christian-managed schools is incorrect. Joseph emphasized that the issue is equally pressing for schools run by the Muslim community, Devaswom Board, and other single-management institutions. Aligning with the Catholic Church’s stance, he criticized the LDF government for not extending a favorable Supreme Court ruling on teacher recruitment to all minority-aided schools, including those under Christian administration.
The rapid escalation of this dispute has put the Kerala Congress (M), a key ally of the ruling LDF and led by Jose K. Mani, into a damage-control scramble. The party has swiftly moved to reassure the public, promising that a resolution to the crisis will be achieved without delay.
Mr. Mani affirmed that if additional dialogues between Christian churches and the government become necessary, the KC(M) is prepared to facilitate them. He stated, “As party chairman, I have already brought this matter to the attention of both the Chief Minister and the Education Minister. The LDF is committed to collectively discussing, deciding upon, and implementing a swift solution to this pressing issue.”
Despite a recent meeting where a KC(M) delegation, led by Minister Roshy Augustine, presented their concerns to the Chief Minister and Education Minister, the situation unexpectedly worsened. The dispute rapidly transformed into a public war of words between the Catholic Church leadership and Education Minister V. Sivankutty, seemingly catching the KC(M) by surprise.