Representational image of students of a government school in Kochi
| Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat

The Kerala government proposes to continue with its initiatives to achieve inclusivity and quality in school education.

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s policy address that was presented in the Assembly on Friday underlined the commitment to holistic and inclusive education with near 100% enrolment and retention and a comprehensive plan to enhance quality through improved academic practices, revamped assessments and targeted support for marginalised communities and students with 23 disabilities.

The address stressed the transformative role of technology in education and efforts to strengthen digital initiatives, including an e-content portal to support learning.

The Governor mentioned the reformation of the school education curriculum through the Kerala Curriculum Framework 2023 in a collaborative process involving public consultations and incorporating inputs from stakeholders such as teachers, parents, administrators, policymakers and, for the first time school students. This landmark effort, the policy address said, marked the first comprehensive curriculum reform in 16 years. The reforms aligned with the evolving demands of science, technology, and information and communications technology (ICT).

The State Council of Educational Research and Training had begun phased development of new textbooks in alignment with the KCF 2023. In the first phase, textbooks for classes 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 along with teacher texts and pioneering parents’ texts were introduced during the 2024-25 academic year. The second phase, covering textbooks for pre-primary, classes 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, would reach schools in the 2025-26 academic year. Revision of textbooks for higher secondary classes was also underway.

Administrative reforms and research projects were implemented to enhance curriculum effectiveness. In-service teacher training programmes were aligned with the new curriculum to equip educators to face emerging challenges.

The speech also mentioned developments in school infrastructure and pointed out that the State’s achievements in school education had been noted by the Union government and international organisations.