Discrimination begins at school: KN Panikkar

KOZHIKODE: Social justice is a term that is inextricably linked to the education sector, but children are subjected to discrimination at the school-level itself, said historian and former chairman of the Kerala State Educational Council K N Panikkar. He was was speaking after inaugurating a seminar on ‘Challenges of the public education system’, organised here as part of the 20th CPM Party Congress on Saturday.The acclaimed historian also said that the changes being inducted into the sector have succeeded only in creating three categories of students, the dropouts, students who go upto the school level and the elites, who gain entry to the reputed institutes.“How many students from the lower strata of the society can enter the IIMs, IITs or the medical colleges? The concept of all children belonging to one particular area, irrespective of different social backgrounds, going to the same school is the ideal example of social justice,” opined K N Panikkar.Alarming increase in the rate of private participation in this sector in the future is foreseeable, said the academician.“While private participation cannot be totally eliminated, a public education culture, which is a healthy fusion of ‘public and private’, needs to be in place. Only such a system would promote democratic spirit and secular sentiments,” added Panikkar.Private participation in education has reached levels where managements coulddictate terms to the government, said M A Khader. The concern now is to make higher education accessible to all sections, said C Usman at the seminar.