Catholic-run schools in Kerala to boycott Class VII SS textbook

Kochi, Aug 9 (UNI) The Catholic Church-run schools in Kerala will boycott the controversial Class VII Social Sciences textbook of the state government and instead teach from a ''workbook'' being brought out by the Church, a spokesman of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) said today.

Briefing reporters here about a meeting of the Bishops Council held here yesterday, KCBC spokesman Fr. Stephen Alathura said that the Church was unhappy with the Social Sciences textbook of the state government as it promoted atheism and materialism.

With the state government not agreeing to withdraw the book, the Church would continue its agitation against it, he said.

Nearly 60 per cent of the schools in Kerala are run by various Church denominations.

The Bishops Council also demanded that the state government restore two per cent reservation for Latin Catholics, which had been reduced to one per cent, in government-run undergraduate and Post-Graduate colleges.

The council had also decided to observe August 15 as 'Faith Protection Day'. A special pledge and prayers would be held in all Church-run institutions on that day, he added.

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