The Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) plans to implement projects to the tune of ₹890 crore in the public education sector in the 2025-26 academic year.
A governing council meeting of the School Education Development Society of Kerala (SEDSK) gave its nod for the SSK and STARS (Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States) activities amid the Union government withholding funds of the Samagra Shiksha scheme to the State for the 2024-25 year for not implementing the PM SHRI scheme.
The annual plan of the Centrally sponsored SSK is to the tune of ₹890 crore and that for STARS is ₹638 crore.
Besides the funds earmarked for SSK’s routine interventions free uniform and textbook and school grant, special programmes have been proposed in the domain of education for nine underdeveloped blocks identified as aspirational blocks in the State.
SSK has also earmarked funds for improving one underdeveloped school in each district. Funds will be used for setting up facilities such as labs and libraries.
An amount of ₹14 crore for setting up science labs in high schools has also been included in the Plan.
Varnakoodaram, a project for pre-primary schools under the STARS programme, will be extended, with 500 more activity centres to be created. Approval is also being sought for 3,000 classrooms suited to all activities under the NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) scheme.
Even if funds are allotted after the plan appraisal by the Union Ministry of Education, release of funds remains uncertain in the wake of the State deciding against signing the PM SHRI memorandum for now.
Published – January 28, 2025 09:28 pm IST