Pinarayi Vijayan Chief Minister
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SMART EDUCATION Pinarayi Vijayan Chief Minister 6 A heart to heart chat: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan having an informal talk with the freshers during the Pravesanolsavam 2018. KERALAkerala CALLING JUNE 2018 www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling Reviving Public Education ducation is an emancipat- into a makeshift setting for schooling. ing force in the society. This was becoming a pattern across Investment in education is a the State with aided schools attempt- vital step in building a more ing shutdown by claiming loss. These inclusive society. Our govern- claims of loss were often invented Ement believes that if we are to make and the real motive was a desire to the most of the wealth of talent that use the land for other lucrative busi- exists in our state, we have to focus nesses. Aided schools form a sizeable on reviving Public Education. The Left portion of the total number of schools Democratic Front in government has in the State and this tendency was ushered in real change and reform posing a danger to public education. towards this end. Determined to arrest this trend, the LDF government intervened and Protecting Public Education resuscitated the school. Efforts were Comprhesinsive schemes are intro- undertaken in 3 other schools facing 7 duced to improve the infrastructure similar troubles, Mangattumuri AMLP of government and government aided school, Palode AUPS, Velloor PMLPS. schools. These are to take them to Government also made necessary international standards. 5 Cr. each changes in the law by amending the is provided for140 schools and 3 Cr. Kerala Education Act to prevent such each for 229 schools for this purpose. cases. 45,000 classrooms are transformed Improving the Student Life into hi tech ones and textbooks were printed and distributed during the Improving the quality of services summer vacation. School libraries available to students is fundamental and laboratories are going hi tech as to improving the quality of education. well. The last academic year saw an Government’s initial efforts went into unprecedented flow of students (1.5 resolving the troubles associated lakhs) from unaided schools to the with distributions of textbooks. It government and government aided was also decided to split a textbook ones. for a year into volumes to lessen the physical burden on students. All stu- Protecting and strengthening of Pub- dents from classes I to VIII were given lic Education is a necessary condition free school uniforms irrespective for making quality education afford- of APL/BPL classification. From this able and accessible. A movement to year students of classes I to V will be protect Public Education was initiated provided uniforms made in hand-loom. and the campaign was then followed Government also implemented a free with actions to effect a revival in the insurance scheme for all students. domain. A striking example is the case Another scheme introduced was a of Malaparamba government Aided fixed deposit of Rs. 50000 for the Upper Primary School (MAUPS). Bank- student in the unfortunate event of ing on a court order in their favour, the death of a parent. The practice the school management had claimed of collecting funds from students a loss and was fixed on closing it. towards Kalotsavam (Youth festival) Facing an uncertain prospect, the expenses was discontinued and students of that school had to move instead the Government allocated Rs. [email protected] JUNE 2018 KERALAkerala CALLING SMART EDUCATION 8 Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates the state level Pravesanolsavam at Government Girls HSS, Nedumangadu, Thiruvananthapuram. Education Minister Prof. C Raveendranath presides over the function 40 Million for it. to provide daily wages to the 3000 A Better Plan for Higher Studies teachers that were working in Higher Delivering Quality Teaching Secondary schools without pay. To take advantage of the opportuni- ties of the modern world and to cope Improving the professional life of Kerala Education Rules were amended with its challenges, governments teachers and non-teaching staff is and the Teachers bank which provides must focus on higher education. The important to ensure the overall quality a scientific way for appointment and LDF government is striving to ensure of the system. To attract and retain transfer of teachers was made a part that higher education is accessible to good teachers, we need to ensure of the law. 4000 teachers whose all those who are interested. We took that they are supported well. The posts got abolished due to lack of necessary steps to ensure that merit LDF Government has raised wages students were redeployed. The Gov- and social justice were considered for many occupations in the sector. ernment authorised the State Council in engineering admissions. Under Wages were raised for teachers of Educational Research and Training the LDF government, admissions to Multi-Grade Learning Centres (MGLC) (SCERT) to study the problems in professional colleges became more and Inclusive Education for Disabled the pre-primary sector. 141 RMSA transparent, timely and at a lower at Secondary Stage (IEDSS). Mid-day schools were elevated to the level cost to students. Government was meal workers saw their wages rising of government school to solve the successful in ensuring that admis- from Rs. 400/day to Rs. 475/day. dearth of teachers. Every educational sions to professional colleges were Honorarium for pre-primary teachers sub-district was provided with one based on entrance test results, it and Aayahs was increased by 600%. IT@school trainer to make our schools was adhered to even for admissions Government granted Rs. 70 million hi-tech. to seats in the management quota KERALA CALLING JUNE 2018 www.prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling 9 of self-financing colleges. Two new five Vice-Chancellors to initiate the started under the ASAP scheme. The postgraduate courses were started process of bringing out a research department of Education entered into in Trivandrum Engineering College journal to publish the research done in an agreement with the Labour depart- during the last one year. The Central our universities. Rs 728.7 Million was ment to identify and solve skills gaps Polytechnic in Thiruvananthapuram distributed among fifteen colleges through vocational training courses. lost its AICTE recognition during the and a University through the Rashtriya Two new centres of CCEK (Centre for tenure of last UDF government. The Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan. Continuing Education Kerala) were LDF government paved way for an started in the Polytechnics of Kallias- infrastructure overhaul there along Furthering Education seri and Kanhangad. with sanctioning twenty six additional At a time when technology is changing Keeping Promises posts at the institute, which helped faster and faster, the nature of jobs the polytechnic to regain its lost and the workforce need to continually The Government’s blueprint for devel- recognition. Guidelines were issued up-skill and re-skill themselves to opment is the LDF manifesto. In the for starting new courses and col- remain relevant. This is far too serious thirty five point pre-election manifes- leges in the higher education sector. a problem to be left at the hands of to, points 23 and 24 speak about ed- Syndicates were reorganised in the market, and instead requires an in- ucation. Two years in governance, we universities. Government has decided tervention through active governance. can proudly say that we have stood by to enforce an Academic Calendar, and Driven by this belief, the LDF govern- the promises we made. The work has decided to use technology to impart ment is actively expanding vocational been initiated to transform our high efficiency and improve the conduct training and Skill development. Ten school and higher secondary school of examinations and publication of new Skill Development Centres were classes to smart classes. results. A committee was formed with [email protected] JUNE 2018 KERALA CALLING.