IUML urges Kerala govt to reject proposal to change school timings

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Saturday strongly opposed the recommendation of a government-appointed panel to change the school timings in Kerala, saying it would have ”serious impact” on the religious education and urged the authorities to reject the proposal.

The Left government should be ready to hold discussions with religious outfits and people’s representatives in this regard before arriving at a final decision, IUML general secretary P M A Salam said.

As media reports surfaced that the M A Khader Committee on school education, which submitted its report recently, has proposed changes in the existing school timings to 8 am-1 pm, Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama (Samastha), influential body of Sunni Muslim scholars, also came out against it, saying this would affect the madrassa studies of the community children.

The association had even expressed doubt whether the move was intended to discourage religious studies and said it was unacceptable at any cost.

”The state government should remember the serious impacts which such a change will cause in the religious study sector of Kerala. Our opinion is that the government should not accept the proposal in the report for change in school timings,” Salam said.

The senior leader also stressed that his party would stand by the religious outfits on the matter.

Senior Samastha leader Abdussamad Pookkottur had said on Friday that though Communism is rooted in the atheistic ideology, the Left government in the state could not bring it as their policy and they should move ahead only after accepting and taking everyone together.

“The change in the existing school timings will definitely affect the madrassa studies. Only a limited time, from 7 am to 8.30 am, is available for religious studies even now,” he had said.

The second part of the Khader committee report, which focuses on academic matters, was handed over to the government on Thursday.