However, the joy of the record-breaking achievement was short-lived.

By the end of June, Sivankutty's cabinet colleague Saji Cheriyan triggered a controversy by criticising the state's declining educational standards. He mentioned that many students who passed the school final exam lacked the skills to write or read properly.

Cheriyan, who oversees the culture and fisheries portfolios, mentioned that achieving the minimum pass mark of 210 in the past required hard work. However, now all students can pass the examination, even without acquiring the skills to read and write, he claimed, noting that a significant percentage of school and college students in the state do not know how to write something without errors, even in their mother tongue.

He said his government was liberal in evaluations, as political rivals would deem anyone who flunked the examination a government failure.

After the Congress-led opposition UDF began using Cheriyan's speech to attack the government, Sivankutty became defensive. He claimed that Kerala provides pre-primary, primary, upper-primary, high school, and higher secondary education in the best manner in the country. He rejected Cheriyan's observation outright, stating that it was not factual.

Claiming that Kerala had never compromised on academic excellence, Sivankutty reminded the state that it still ranks first in the Centre's development indices regarding school education.

Cheriyan's revelation was not surprising to those who had heard a leaked audio recording of a speech by the state's director of public instruction, S. Shanavas. The recording captured Shanavas expressing significant concerns about the declining quality of education in the state during a closed-door meeting with school teachers in March.

"Gone are the days when the quality of education in Kerala was compared to Europe. Now it is being compared to Bihar," Shanavas said in his speech, sparking a controversy. He mentioned that around 69,000 high school students achieve the highest grade annually, but some students need help with basic skills such as writing their names without mistakes.

Sivankutty clarified that a statement made during a routine meeting of teachers should not be viewed as representative of the state government's views. He stated that the government's policy aims to uphold and enhance the quality of education standards in the state.

"The education standards in Kerala have received a commendation from UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and have achieved high rankings nationally. Our goal is to strengthen these standards further," the minister explained.

But Cheriyan's comments reinforced Shanavas's stand in Kerala, where the pass percentage of Class X now has reached as high as 99%, compared to 60 to 70 % three decades ago. In 2023, the overall pass percentage was 99.70%

The so-called "Kerala model" of universal education, which has been widely praised, has declined in quality over the years for various reasons. Experts suggest that even professional courses in the state have suffered from a significant erosion in quality despite the government's assurances.

"It's not surprising to hear about the revelations of Shanavas and Cheriyan. Look at this year's results from the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University in the state, to which all its engineering colleges are affiliated. In the final BTech examination, the pass percentage at 26 affiliated colleges was below 25%. There is a college where 28 students appeared for the examination. Still, none passed," said M Shajar Khan, the general secretary of the Kerala chapter of the All India Save Education Committee.

Poor education standards have led talented students to choose institutions in other states or overseas. This has had a ripple effect on the state's education sector, with 14 colleges affiliated with MG University shutting down this academic year due to a lack of students.

Rajan Gurukkal, the vice chairman of the Kerala Higher Education Council, said many self-financed and unaided institutions in the state are close to shutting down due to a lack of students. He mentioned that even well-established governments and aided institutions still need to fill seats. Recently, the Kerala High Court noted that the quality of education in the state has significantly declined and stated that the authorities could have prevented this decline by taking necessary actions to uphold the standards.

"Our education system has begun to produce low-quality graduates who are being let loose on the public. It has reached a point where, before seeking medical help, we should check which college the doctor or dentist graduated from," said J. Devika, an academic and writer.

"It is concerning to see that in matrimonial advertisements, individuals are specifying that their degrees were earned through merit-based admissions," she added.

Compared to other states, Kerala has a unique legacy of universal education. This is due to factors such as near-total literacy, free and universal primary education, a low school dropout rate, easy access to educational institutions, and gender equality in access. In these aspects, Kerala is often compared not only to other Indian states or developing countries but also to some developed countries.

"The achievements of Kerala in the past are certainly commendable. However, today, they only hide some serious shortcomings and inefficiencies in the state's educational system. These deficiencies may partly explain Kerala's slow economic growth rate despite its high educational and social development levels. If the huge investments made in Kerala's educational system do not yield adequate returns, it could burden the state's economy," said Devika.

Critics argue that education is no longer driving change in Kerala's society despite the fact that the government's spending on education, as a proportion of the state's domestic product, is among the highest in the country.

In Kerala, education makes up more than one-third of the state's total revenue expenditure. About one-fifth of the population consists of students, and the education sector is one of the largest employers in the state. Teachers make up over 50% of the workforce in registered factories. There are now concerns about whether such a significant investment has resulted in proportionate economic development. If not, there are questions about the causes of the system's lack of productivity.

Higher education minister, R. Bindu, defended the large number of Malayali students leaving for foreign countries, stating that it is a global trend. She dismissed the reasons given for Kerala's poor socio-economic situation and the declining standards of higher education in the state as unfounded.

According to educationists, reports of widespread favouritism and nepotism in universities and higher education institutions are believed to be key reasons behind falling standards. The CPI (M) party has been accused multiple times of appointing its close followers to important academic positions.

Academic M.N.N Karassery has said that the politicisation of the higher education sector in states has had negative effects, impacting everything from student admissions and evaluations to top-level appointments. These unethical practices have not only damaged the state's reputation as a centre of excellence but also put the futures of local students at risk.

He said higher education institutions prioritise political loyalty over academic excellence for the ruling party. They maintain their political influence by controlling course curricula, teachers, and student leaders. As a result, favoured faculty and students receive unfair advantages, regardless of merit, he said.

In the case of CPI (M), its student wing, the Students Federation of India (SFI) and affiliated organisations are accused of causing widespread campus unrest and promoting nepotism among teachers and staff. Experts said that the state's education sector can only be reinvented by avoiding situations where meritless individuals further clog up the system through favouritism and nepotism.