Kerala Education Controversy: Ministers Clash Over SSLC Exam Standards

Kerala's Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan criticized the state's education standards, claiming many SSLC exam passers lack basic literacy skills. General Education Minister V Sivankutty refuted the claims, emphasizing Kerala's commitment to academic excellence and outlining ongoing educational reforms.

Kerala Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan has sparked a heated debate by criticizing the state's education standards, asserting that many students who clear the SSLC exam lack basic reading and writing skills.

His remarks prompted a swift rebuttal from General Education Minister V Sivankutty, who dismissed the criticisms as unfounded and emphasized Kerala's leading position in national education rankings.

Speaking at an event on Saturday, Cheriyan reminisced about a time when achieving the minimum pass mark of 210 was a struggle, but now almost all students pass with ease. He expressed concerns that failing students would be seen as a failure of the government, thus leading to lenient evaluations.

Sivankutty, however, defended the state's educational standards, pointing out Kerala's top position in the Centre's development indices for school education. He dismissed the brewing controversy, clarifying that Cheriyan’s speech was intended to elevate the public education system. Sivankutty also highlighted various initiatives aimed at improving the school education system in Kerala.

The recent Class 10 SSLC exam results showed an impressive pass rate of 99.69%, with 4,25,563 students passing the examination.