Kerala Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan reiterated on Thursday that some students in the state struggle with reading and writing despite passing the SSLC exam. Last week, Cheriyan sparked controversy by stating that many students who pass the SSLC exams lack adequate literacy skills.
During an assembly session, opposition UDF MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly raised the issue, questioning whether the General Education Department agreed with Cheriyan’s assessment. State General Education Minister V Sivankutty attempted to downplay the matter, suggesting Cheriyan’s remarks were made in the heat of the moment.
Debating literacy standards and examination rigour
Sivankutty clarified that the government does not support the notion that SSLC graduates lack basic literacy skills. However, Cheriyan defended his statement, citing an example of a class 10 student whose written request was riddled with spelling errors. He emphasised that his comments were not intended to portray a widespread problem in Kerala and encouraged open discussion on the issue.
Cheriyan’s controversial remark was made at an event in the coastal Alappuzha district on Saturday. He also noted that previously it was challenging to achieve the minimum pass mark of 210, but now the exams are easier to pass.
For the academic year 2023-24, Kerala registered a pass percentage of 99.69 per cent in the Class 10 Secondary School Leaving Certificate examinations, with 4,25,563 students clearing the exam, according to government officials.
With inputs from PTI
