KAMBALAKKAD: Welcoming around three lakh tiny tots, who marked the beginning of their primary education on Monday at various schools across the state, Minister for Education P K Abdu Rabb vowed to establish a ‘Kerala model’ in pedagogy.
The Minister was speaking at the state level inaugural ceremony of ‘Praveshanolsvam’ which was conducted at Kambalakkad government upper primary school in Wayanad district. The celebrations for welcoming the first-timers to schools was kicked-off when the District Collector V Keshvendra flagged off a flamboyant procession of students dressed in cultural outfits, police cadets and cavalry.
Rabb reached the starting point of the procession to escort the first-timers to the school. Later, on reaching the school, the first-time school goers were welcomed by the Minister to their specially decorated classrooms with flowers and confectioneries.
Delivering the inaugural address, the Minister said that the government had revamped the state’s school-level educational system, with an aim of comprehensive development of students.
“The educational department has made changes in the textbooks of school children except for the classes of ninth and tenth. In the next academic year restructured textbooks for those classes will also be distributed,” he added.
The education department has also restructured the textbooks for pre-primary students and the differently-abled. The education department has uploaded the new textbooks to the official portal of the State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT).
Ensuring cheap and quality education in the state would reduce the flow of students to the schools in the neighbouring states, which is the ultimate aim of ‘Kerala model’ educational system, he said.
The Minister said that there was an increase in the number of students who joined government aided schools in the last academic year, attributing to unofficial records.
According to a recent survey conducted by the state health department, there are 306 government schools in the state which do not have basic facilities like access to potable water and hygienic washrooms for female students. However, Rabb said that the government has sent out notifications to those schools which have failed in terms of fundamental requirements.
“The government will cancel the fitness certificate of those schools which fail in complying with the government’s directions,” he said.
The Minister also inaugurated free textbook distribution during the ceremony which was presided over by Shreyams Kumar MLA. I C Balakrishnan MLA and KM Shaji MLA inaugurated free uniform distribution drive in the school.
C Mammootty MLA, Kalpetta block panchayat president P K Anil Kumar, district panchayat president N K Rasheed, deputy director of education (Wayanad) Sreelatha and Kaniyambetta gram panchayat president Rosely Chacko were also present at the function.
Wifi Connection
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of ‘Praveshanolsvam’, Shreyams Kumar MLA said that wireless internet broadband connection will be set up in all government schools in the district at a cost of `12 lakh.