Public education in the State will be raised to international standards, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was speaking after inaugurating the State-level school Pravesanotsavam organised by the General Education Department and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan at Government Upper Primary School, Oorutambalam, on Thursday.
Mr. Vijayan said the government would demonstrate how education standards could be raised. It envisioned protecting public education through concerted efforts, and was committed to it. The State’s various achievements in the education sector had been achieved through public education, the Chief Minister said. However, with globalisation and mushrooming of private institutions aimed at profits, public education had suffered setbacks. The government had initiated measures to bring about a change in the situation. Conditions would be created so that children of the common man could study and achieve excellence.
Smart classes
The decision to make classes from 1 to 12 smart and make public schools high-tech were part of this mission.
Minister for Education C. Ravindranath said Mr. Vijayan would usher in the second phase of protection of public education by bringing the marginalised sections to schools. This academic year would be significant in Kerala’s history, he said.
Increase in strength of public schools was welcome news. The people had successfully taken up the government’s General Education Protection Mission. This was the reason why Pravesanotsavam had been held in the historic Oorutambalam school.
The school would become completely high-tech. The programme for making lower primary and upper primary schools in the State high-tech would start from here, the Minister said.
The Chief Minister released the public education guidelines on the occasion. Mr. Ravindranath inaugurated the telecast of 15 infotainment programmes by IT@School and ViCTERS channel.
A. Sampath, MP, released Kaitthiri, a resource material for teachers to achieve academic excellence. Director of Public Instruction K.V. Mohan Kumar released the learning outcome calendar.
General Education Secretary Usha Titus and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Project Director A.P. Kuttikrishnan were present.