Demand for more Plus One batches grows
Only days since the declaration of SSLC results, apprehension over availability of Plus One higher secondary seats in Malabar is building. Students, parents, and teachers are worried if they will nd admission in the school and course of their choice.
As many as 4,24,772 students became eligible for higher studies in the State after appearing for the SSLC examinations.
The actual availability of Plus One seats in the State is 3,59,507. Add to this 11,965 seats in the 178 batches temporarily sanctioned and those shifted in the past two years. The increase in seats through marginal increase of 20% to 30% is 61,759.
The department claims that this takes the total number of higher secondary seats to 4,33,231. However, even as it puts forward this number, what is neglected is that this includes the seats not only in government and aided sectors, but 54,986 unaided seats too.
Each year, the department fails to mention that when it claims adequate Plus One seats are available, it includes unaided sector seats too when the single-window admission is held to all seats in government schools and seats other than community and management quota seats in aided schools. Moreover, a large number of unaided sector seats remain vacant each year.
The number of seats available in the government sector this year is 1,83,135 and that in the aided sector 1,95,110, taking the total to 3,78,345.
The department also cites the 33,030 vocational higher secondary (VHSE) seats, 61,429 ITI seats and 9,990 polytechnic seats to claim that the total number of seats available for higher education in the State is 5,37,680.