Poll Result (January 2009 - 4)

Photo: Education Minister of Kerala, M.A. Baby


Kerala's Education Minister is ambitious of teaching magic in schools. What do our readers say?

66% favours
23% demands a discussion
and
11% opposes

Vote for issues of still more interest!

JANUARY 09: (1 2 3)

Last Year: (2008 Jan. - Dec.)

Magic to be included in the education curriculum: M.A. Baby

(From left) Ministers, N.K. Premachandran, M.A. Baby and Paloly Mohammed Kutty watching evening galas at Vismayam 2008.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Minister of Education, M.A. Baby has informed that his Ministry was thinking of including magic as a subject for learning in the school and college curriculum.

The minister observed that this was essential to carve out a generation that do not fall prey to superstitions and false beliefs. “Magicians have a significant role in eradicating superstitions and the claims of certain God men of having some supernatural abilities”, the Minister added. “A section of magicians may object, but I don’t think there is anything wrong if some general tricks are handed down to school students with the aim of empowering them against superstitions”, Mr. Baby said. He was inaugurating the final rounds of competitions to decide the winner of Grand Champion of Magic title.

During his presidential address, the Minister of Local Self Government, Paloly Moham- med Kutty pointed out that magic was an art that could effectively reflect social issues.

The Minister of Water Resources, N.K. Premachandran, in his Keynote address commented that the Vismayam 2008 could bring in an international acclaim for Indian magic.

Consensus can make magic a contest item: Education Minister

Kerala's Minister of Education, M.A. Baby speaking on the occasion of Vazhakunnam commemoration.

Thiruvananthapuram: Education Minister of Kerala, M.A. Baby has said that magic would be added as a competition item in the State school youth festival only if there was a consensus among magicians of different outlooks. He was inaugurating a function organised by the Magic Academy in association with the Vailopilli Samskriti Bhavan and the Department of Public Relations to commemorate Vazhakunnam Neelakantan Namboodiri.

The Minister said that there prevailed two groups of magicians – those who believed that an entry to the youth festival would prosper the art and those who feared such a step would only destroy the art. "If these groups of opposite beliefs sit together, arrive at a consensus and inform, the Government is open-minded to include magic as a contest item in the school youth festivals", Mr. Baby said.
Held under the Directorate of Public Instructions, Kerala State Schools Youth Festival is one of the biggest of its kind in Asia. In 2008, there were competitions in 79 items for which more than 6000 pupil tried their luck.