Samastha affiliate plans stir against additional school hours in Kerala

The Samastha Kerala Madrasa Management Association (SKMMA), an affiliate organisation of the Sunni scholars’ forum Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama which runs madrasas, has announced that it will launch an agitation against the Left Democratic Front government’s “unilateral” decision to increase the working hours of aided, government, and recognised unaided schools that follow State syllabus.

Association office-bearers told the media here on Tuesday that the future course of action would be declared at a public convention to be held at the Kozhikode Town Hall at 10 a.m. on July 10.

The working hours for Classes VIII to X in these schools have been increased by 30 minutes in total — 15 minutes each in the morning and afternoon — on all days except Fridays. This is to realise the target of 220 working days and 1,100 instructional hours for Class VIII as per the Right to Education Act and for Classes IX and X as per the Kerala Education Rules.

Moideen Faizy Puthanazhi, general secretary, SKMMA, claimed that the additional working hours would affect the functioning of the madrasas, which run their classes for two-and-a-half hours in the morning from 6.30 a.m. or 7 a.m.

High school students who attend madrasa classes would find it difficult to reach their schools on time, he claimed. Mr. Puthanazhi alleged that though the Samastha functionaries, including its president Syed Mohammed Jifri Muthukoya Thangal, had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan soon after the government expressed its intention to increase the working hours in schools, their concerns were ignored.

“Government officials are claiming that the additional hours are only for high school students. However, many government schools in Kerala have upper primary and lower primary sections as well. Their classes start at the same time. So, the justification is not acceptable,” he said.

Asked if they had any alternatives to suggest, K. Moyinkutty, manager, SKMMA, said that the government should first call them for talks. “They can think of utilising Saturdays as working days or use some days during the two-month vacation period as working days,” he added.