No separate categories of schools in adjudging winners, clarifies Minister

General Education Minister V. Sivankutty
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

Minister for Education V. Sivankutty on Monday said there was no separation of general school and sports school in the Kerala School Sports & Games held on the lines of the Olympic Games.

In a release issued here, Mr. Sivankutty said students participated without the differentiation of sports school, general school, sports division, Sports Authority of India, and sports academies. That being the case, it is not proper to award prizes based on such separations, he said.

Excellence is paramount in sports. The General Education department is of the view that such differentiations will not help in the development of sports. Competitions are held in 39 events. Students who compete together in the competition for finding the district emerging overall champions could not be separated by general school or sports school. There cannot be such differentiation in athletics alone, Mr. Sivankutty said.

The office of the General Education Director also issued a release reaffirming this and stuck to the original decision with regard to the best school in athletics that led to protests during the valedictory function. As such, Ideal EHSS, Kadakassery; G.V. Raja Sports School and Navamukunda HSS, Thirunavaya, were adjudged the top three finishers in the category.

The Minister’s clarification came hours after tension erupted at the valedictory function when students and teachers of Navamukunda HSS, Thirunavaya, and Mar Basil HSS, Kothamangalam, protested over adjudging G.V. Raja Sports School as the first runner-up in the best school category in athletics. They alleged that considering a sports school along with general schools without the same facilities was unfair and unjust.