Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the State government aimed at transforming every educational institution into centres of excellence which were computerised. The target is to transform Kerala into the first digitised education State within three years, he said.
Inaugurating the State-level general education protection campaign at Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Malayinkeezhu, on Friday, Mr. Vijayan pointed out that the standard of public schools in thas State has been on the wane, particularly due to the failure in adapting to the changing times. “The neglect shown towards government schools has translated to a favourable situation for unaided schools, many of which have been more celebrated and sought after. This has resulted in a situation in which parents are disinclined in sending their students to public schools, even if they are just a stone’s throw away,” he lamented.
Master plan
As part of the government’s efforts, all classrooms will be made into smart classrooms and infrastructure will be enhanced in accordance with the specific necessities of each school. “The Education Department is preparing a comprehensive master plan that will include guidelines regarding the basis requirements of schools in order to adopt modern teaching techniques,” Mr. Vijayan said.
He added that the teaching staff would be made to undergo regular in-service training programmes in order to keep themselves updated to advancements in the field. The activities will be student-centric with frequent reviews being undertaken to gauge the extent of knowledge gained by each student at various stages.
The Chief Minister held the view that self-financing colleges in the State had come to be perceived as commercial establishments, which were more profitable than abkari outlets as viewed by some.
“While the A.K. Antony government had accorded sanction to self-financing colleges with good intentions, the sector has witnessed an ever-increasing thirst for profits in recent times. The situation has now reached a point wherein Mr. Antony himself has begun to criticise such institutions,” he remarked.
Education Minister C. Ravindranth presided over the function. A. Sampath, MP; I.B. Satheesh, MLA; General Education Secretary Usha Titus; Director of Public Instruction K.V. Mohankumar; district panchayat president V.K. Madhu; Higher Secondary Education Director M.S. Jaya; and State Council of Educational Research and Training director J. Prasad were among those who were present.
A human chain was also formed outside the school premises with a pledge to protect general education administered on the occasion.
