KOCHI: Kochi corporation has taken up the task of improving the standard of education in government higher secondary schools under its jurisdiction. Utilising the plan funds for the financial year 2024-25, the corporation aims to set up fully-equipped laboratories in 12 schools in Kochi at a total cost of around Rs 10 crore.
“The project is being undertaken under the People’s Plan and might be a unique task that is being implemented by a local self-government institution,” Kochi mayor M Anilkumar told TNIE. He said it had come to the corporation’s notice that the government high schools and higher secondary schools in areas under the civic body lacked proper laboratory facilities.
“So it was decided to equip these government schools with laboratories in science, mathematics and IT streams,” he says. According to corporation education standing committee chairman V A Srijith, laboratories have been set up in five among the 12 selected school so far. “On Friday, three laboratories were set up at Ernakulam Government Girls Higher Secondary School. The school is now equipped with brand-new chemistry, mathematics and computer science labs,” says Srijith.
The mayor highlighted how the education minister was impressed when he came over to inaugurate the laboratory at Vennala Government Higher Secondary School. “He pointed out that the laboratories are much better than the ones in the CBSE schools. While the computer science laboratory set up at the GGHSS can accommodate around 80 students at a time, the chemistry and mathematics laboratories can accommodate around 30 students each,” the mayor said.
According to the mayor, laboratories will be set up at the Model Technical School as well. “We have allocated an amount of Rs 1 crore for the project. It should be noted that the school doesn’t come under the corporation but a different department. However, after it was noticed that the school lacked infrastructural facilities, it was decided to allocate the funds for the laboratories there,” he said. The corporation wants the government schools located within its jurisdiction to become centres of excellence equipped with good infrastructure facilities, he added.
