Deepening Academic Divide

#Deepening academic divide

State-run school students in Kerala are increasingly becoming subjects of policy experiments that, though well-intentioned, often compromise their academic focus. The introduction of Zumba dance as part of an anti-drug initiative, while aiming to promote fitness and engagement, raises questions about time allocation and academic priorities. 

Many of these students already face a disadvantaged background in terms of resources and learning environments. Unlike their CBSE/ICSE counterparts who follow a structured academic calendar focused on core subjects, students in government schools are now expected to accommodate extracurricular activities like Zumba and elaborate mid-day meal practices. 

The concern is not with Zumba or good food per se, but with whether these interventions are consuming the limited time students have for academic study—especially in schools where classroom hours are already constrained.

When teachers are expected to coordinate meals, manage kitchen logistics, and facilitate fitness programs, their core responsibility—teaching—takes a back seat. Students in government schools thus suffer a double blow: a diluted learning experience and reduced instructional time.

Unlike private school counterparts who enjoy a relatively distraction-free, academically intense environment, these students face fragmented schedules and unpredictable routines. While holistic education is vital, the balance is skewed too far toward experimentation at the cost of core academics. 

Without adequate safeguards to protect study hours and learning outcomes, such programs risk deepening the academic divide between students in government and private schools.

-K A Solaman.