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Ban on fashion shows in Kerala Board schools

DUBAI – Around 27 private schools in UAE affiliated to the Kerala Education Board will be prohibited from holding fashion shows and cinematic dances as part of their annual cultural programmes, E.T. Muhammad Basheer, Minister of Education of Kerala, said yesterday.

The minister, who is on a visit to the UAE, said necessary action will be taken to ban cinematic dance and fashion shows in schools because it creates an adverse impact on children and results in distancing them from their culture and heritage.

"We have already imposed a ban in the schools in Kerala last year. All the schools affiliated to Kerala Educational Board will have to follow the rules irrespective of where they are located. The rule has not been effectively imposed overseas but we have now decided to enforce it strictly," he said, adding that action, including termination of affiliation, will be taken if a school violates the rule.

Basheer disclosed that an international educational conference will be held in Trivandrum in February 2006 in order to make Kerala an educational hub of India. "We are trying to attract students from abroad and plans are underway to improve the education level to international standards. The government will facilitate all necessary infrastructure and quality improvement programmes."

"In order to attract Arab students to the state, we have introduced different quota for them. Kerala has a historic connection with the Arab countries and the economy of the state is still dependent on the money brought in by the expatriates. So Arab students should get at least this priority from us," he said.

Basheer said the Kerala government was also considering bringing in amendments to law relaxing borders for its universities. "When this amendment is applied, universities in Kerala can give affiliation to colleges abroad. This will give an opportunity for students, especially from expatriate community, to study overseas under the universities of Kerala which offer quality education," he added.