Kerala Education Minister calls for gender divide in colleges

Kerala Education Minister PK Abdu Rabb has called for a gender divide in colleges by saying that he is against of boys and girls sitting next to each other in class room.

"As education minister, personally I don't agree to the practice of boys and girls sitting next to each other in class room. But no issues if they (boys and girls) sit on separate chairs," said Abdu Rabb.

There has been a controversy in the state over the recent expulsion of a male student from Farook College in Kozhikode after he sat with girls.

He insisted that college and their management have to decide on this issue as the government has not taken any decision on this stand so far.

"As far as I have seen the boys and girls in colleges sit separately. Everywhere else they are sitting separate, be it in buses. There are separate toilets for boys and girls. Why is there a forceful demand for boys and girls to sit together in classes when they can sit together after classes?" he asked.

A male student was expelled from Farook College, but the Kerala High Court had stayed the order. Despite this, many in the state have been averse to the idea of boys and girls sitting together on campus.