ALAPPUZHA: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday instructed all schools to complete an academic master plan by June 15 and said efforts were on to bring the entire school system under a unified structure.
Speaking after inaugurating the state-level school reopening (Praveshanotsavam) at Kalavoor Government Higher Secondary School in Alappuzha, the CM said significant changes will be made in the methods of evaluation. “In addition to raising academic standards, students’ mental well-being will be a core focus. The government will stand with students in every aspect of their educational journey,” Pinarayi said.
Reflecting on the state’s progress, he said that in 2016, nearly 5 lakh students had left public schools and over 1,000 institutions were closed due to poor enrolment. Over the past nine years, the state has invested Rs 5,000 crore to revolutionise public education by introducing smart classrooms, infrastructure upgrades and student-centric policies, marking a new chapter in Kerala’s educational history, Pinarayi said.
Declaring the new academic year as the ‘Year of comprehensive quality improvement’, the CM praised the early printing and distribution of textbooks before the start of the school year, calling it a historic achievement. He emphasised that the new educational approach should inspire joy through learning and promote values such as critical thinking, empathy and social responsibility.
Over the next two weeks, schools will conduct special activities focusing on refreshing knowledge, drug awareness, road safety, personal hygiene, health habits, mobile phone etiquette, public property conservation, legal literacy and cooperative behaviour.
Presiding over the event, General Education Minister V Sivankutty said over 3 crore textbooks were printed and distributed before the school reopened, and student-written content was included in the curriculum. The department successfully implemented a transparent online teacher transfer process, he said.
For the first time in Kerala’s school reopening history, a poem by a student was selected as the official theme song. Written by Bhadra Hari, a student of SVVHSS, Thamarakkudy in Kottarakkara, the poem was composed and sung by music director Alphons Joseph. Bhadra was honoured by the CM with a special gift. Alphons was felicitated, too.
On the occasion, Pinarayi also released a book detailing the achievements of the public education department by handing the first copy to Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian. Agriculture Minister P Prasad was the chief guest.