Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s policy address in the Assembly on Thursday mentions new initiatives that the State government proposes to roll out in the general education sector in the 2024-25 academic year.
A significant scheme pertains to efficient waste management in schools. The government is already implementing the ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ (Waste-free new Kerala) campaign in the State.
Another programme proposed to be implemented is empowerment of girl students through promotion of menstrual hygiene. The government also plans to extend support to extremely poor children in Kerala.
The government will also focus on school infrastructure development, including accessible toilets for differently abled students and building autism parks in schools.
The address pointed out that Kerala was a model for other States as it has been able to continue the mid-day meal scheme and provide textbooks and free uniforms to students before schools reopen for the new academic year.
It made a special mention of the State bringing out six additional textbooks in four subjects in Humanities in the current academic year to ensure “real” historical and social awareness among children following the National Council of Educational Research and Training excluding certain portions from textbooks for Classes VI to XII as part of curriculum reforms. The main portions excluded included Mughal history and Partition of India, martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi, Five Year Plan, Emergency, popular struggles in India, social conditions in India and caste system, the address said.
Many new buildings
It also reiterated construction of many new buildings in public schools.
Listing the State’s achievements, the address highlighted that it had become the champion this time in the senior category of athletes at the National School Sports Festival.
The State also organised the Kerala School Arts Festival, said to be Asia’s largest youth arts festival, with more than 13,000 students participating; State School Sports Meet, Special School Arts Festival, and State School Science Fair.
