Aimed at accommodating enrollment growth, the State government is toying with the idea of setting up two more Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) in the district.
Official sources told The Hindu on Monday that the establishment of two more Kendriya Vidyalayas would provide parents with a better choice rather than seeking CBSE – affiliated institutions in the private sector.
Currently two Kendriya Vidyalayas function in the city, one at East Hill and the other at Govindapuram, known as KV No.1 and KV No.2, respectively. The total strength at KV No1 is 3,154 and at K.V.No.2 is 950.
New students
“Two schools are insufficient to meet the admission requirements of new students in the district. Parents are struggling to meet their expectations with unrecognised CBSE schools. We have identified land for one of the schools at Ulliyeri on the outskirts of the city. The second one will be in the city itself,” the sources said.
Normally Kendriya Vidyalayas could be opened in both civil and defence sectors. At least 4 acres of land is required in a city and beyond that in other areas. Other norms include concentration of 500 employees in defence or Central government and minimum potential enrolment of 200 children for classes I to IV.
There is also a scope for starting a Kendriya Vidyalaya for the Border Security Force at Nadapuram or at CRPF centre at Peruvannamuzhi.
Less in district
In fact, the number of Kendriya Vidyalayas in the district is less when compared to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuarm, which has six or more institutions respectively. Incidentally Kasaragod district has three schools, Kannur , six including the INS Zamorin at Ezhimala, and Palakkad, three.
Sources said that shortage of Kendriya Vidyalayas in the district has been exploited by some of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools in the city and other mofussil towns. Most of them not only charge exorbitant tuition fees ranging from Rs. 16,000 to Rs. 24,000 per academic year but also indulge in collecting capitation fees between Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2 lakh per child at entry level.
Unaided schools especially those affiliated to CBSE are struggling to sustain institutions after the State government and later the Kerala High Court upheld the order that managements should pay a minimum monthly provisional salary between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 to teachers. This is at a time when Kendriya Vidyalaya teachers are paid a monthly salary between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 60,000. So the option for schools is either to charge high fees or close down the institutions. Already the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development has warned that unrecognised CBSE schools will not be allowed to function.
