Kerala to scrap traditional classroom backbenches in state schools

NEW DELHI: Backbenchers in Kerala’s state-run schools will soon be a thing of the past, as the southern state moves to abolish conventional row-wise seating, citing its adverse effects on students. General Education Minister V Sivankutty said on Tuesday that the government would like to do away with the concept of 'backbenchers' from the school classrooms.

Announcing the major decision through a Facebook post, he said the general education department has decided to appoint an expert panel to find out the best seating pattern suitable for our education system. "It has been decided to appoint a committee of experts to find out the best model suitable for our education system. Let us consider the suggestions of this panel and move forward," the minister posted. Stating that the concept of backbenchers can have a negative impact on a student's confidence and learning, Sivankutty said no child should be left behind in their studies or in life.

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‘Backbencher’ concept under review in Kerala schools

"Our goal is to ensure equal opportunities for all children. We are thinking about how to make this happen," he explained. Many countries are following different models to eliminate the concept of backbenchers, the minister said, and sought the support of everyone in ensuring a better future for the children. The elimination of the backbenchers' concept has been a topic of discussion in Kerala for some time, based on an idea shared by a recently released Malayalam film "Sthanarthi Sreekuttan".

In the Vinesh Viswanathan-directed movie, one of the characters, a school student, proposes a change in the conventional seating pattern after suffering humiliation for being a backbencher in the class. Drawing inspiration from the movie, some of the schools in the southern state have already implemented a U-shaped seating pattern, ensuring every student gets equal attention and prominence.