(MENAFN- IANS) Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 12 (IANS) The Centre's revelation in the Parliament that 201 government schools in Kerala were shut down in the last two years has sparked a political row, with the opposition Congress demanding clarification from the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government.

In a written reply to MP K. Radhakrishnan's question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary stated that the number of government schools in Kerala fell from 5,014 in April 2021 to 4,809 in March 2024.

The figures were part of nationwide data showing changes in the number of government schools across all states and Union Territories between the academic years 2019–20 and 2023–24.

The revelation prompted strong reactions from former Congress legislator T, considered a close confidant of Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, who questioned how such a figure could be presented in Parliament without immediate challenge from the Kerala government.

"Is the number of government schools in Kerala actually falling? A reduction of 201 schools in just two years - between 2021–22 and 2023–24 - sounds unbelievable at first glance," he said.

Balram also raised doubts over the methodology of the Centre's data collection, asking whether aided schools might have been included in the calculation.

He urged State Education Minister V. Sivankutty to respond publicly and provide a clear explanation.

"The Education Department must clarify whether this is a factual reflection of the situation or a misinterpretation of the figures," Balram said.

The data, presented by the Union government, also listed the number of government schools shut down across the country, indicating that school closures are not confined to Kerala.

However, the scale of the alleged decline in the state has drawn particular attention, given Kerala's longstanding reputation for strong public education infrastructure.

The issue has now become a political flashpoint, with the Opposition accusing the state government of either failing to prevent closures or failing to counter inaccurate statistics.

Education sector stakeholders say the figures, if accurate, raise concerns over rural access to schooling and the state's commitment to public education.

Whether the numbers reflect actual school closures or classification changes remains unclear, with pressure mounting on the Kerala government to set the record straight ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

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