Thiruvananthapuram: A panel led by Prof V Karthikeyan Nair appointed by the Kerala Government to study issues related to higher secondary admissions is likely to recommend abolition of ‘school weightage.’

This weightage is given during the single-window higher secondary (Class 11) admissions to students who had studied in the same school in Class 10. According to sources, the panel feels that such a weightage hampers merit.

At the same time, the panel would suggest continuation of the regional weightage, under which students belonging to the same panchayat where the school is located are given preference.

Incidentally, the government had last year taken away the weightage of two marks awarded to students who could swim. The Karthikeyan Nair Committee is scheduled to submit its report within two weeks.

Other likely proposals

According to the panel, additional marginal seats should not be allotted in higher secondary batches. Even though the strength of a batch is 50 students, the government often allows marginal increase in the number of seats every year. However, the panel has found that having more than 50 students in a classroom would adversely affect studies.

The Karthikeyan Nair panel is also expected to recommend reduction in the number of batches in districts such as Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha — where there is a shortage of students — and shift those batches to Malappuram and other places which are struggling due to excess students.

The panel will also discuss the technical aspects related to the various phases of the single-window admission process with the National Informatics Centre, which prepared the software, before submitting its final report.