Kerala govt to meet school managements over revised timings

Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala General Education Department on Sunday said it would hold discussions with representatives of school managements in the state regarding the change in school timings.

The discussion will be held in the chamber of General Education Minister V Sivankutty on July 23 afternoon, an official statement said.

One representative from each management is expected to participate in the meeting, during which the minister will explain the circumstances that prompted the government to revise school timings, it added.

Sivankutty recently clarified that school timings cannot be changed to "accommodate a particular community", as the government must consider the interests of lakhs of students.

He stated that the decision to extend school hours by 30 minutes was based on the directions of the Kerala High Court, and anyone aggrieved by it can seek legal remedies.

As per the revised schedule, high school students (classes 8 to 10) will spend an additional 15 minutes each in the morning and afternoon on all working days—except Fridays—to help schools meet the mandated 1,100 instructional hours annually.

The minister's clarification comes in the wake of mounting criticism from Muslim organisations, including the Sunni clerical body Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, which contends that the "extended hours will interfere with religious education."

Sivankutty had said the decision was based on a Kerala High Court ruling in August 2024, which deemed the earlier academic calendar—featuring 25 working Saturdays—"invalid" due to the absence of official government sanction.