Education Minister C. Ravindranath said here on Monday that the State government would come down heavily on private tuitions, conduct all examinations from class 1 to 12, generate a textbook-based question bank and hold online examinations, on an experimental basis, for class 12 in the next academic year either for quarterly or half-yearly test papers conducted during Onam and Christmas.
Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for his department, the Education Minister said these changes were being made in the wake of the leaking out of the Mathematics question paper in the recent SSLC examinations. The Vigilance inquiry in this regard was under way,
The department had proposed a ₹400 crore project to scale up the ongoing high-tech high school programme to all constituencies from the next academic year, up from the four currently under implementation. The emphasis is on achieving academic excellence from the lower primary stage to higher secondary and higher education sectors. Kerala would become the first digital State in the field of education after the government implements the high-tech school programme in the lower and upper primary sections and makes all colleges and universities digital. As part of the attempts to improve academic excellence, an estimated 1.5 lakh high school teachers were being put through the paces of a 8-day training programme.
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He said the government had decided to convert all RMSA institutions into government schools. Other proposals include establishing a talent lab and a cultural park. With a view to bringing children with disabilities to the mainstream, an autism park will also be set up. The government will prepare a master plan to ensure aided schools are also within the purview of its plan to achieve academic excellence. With regard to self-financing professional education institutions, Mr. Ravindranath said the government proposed to bring in legislation to regulate the sector.
Sports Mission
Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs A.C. Moideen, while replying to the debate on demands related to his departments, said the government was planning to implement sports development on a mission mode on the lines of the Literacy Mission. The Sports Department has started the Operation Olympia programme intended to prepare promising sportspersons for the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
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The Centre has promised to allot the proposed Sports University for the State if the government were to identify the required land. The Minister was hopeful that the State would be able to host the under-17 FIFA world Cup to be held later this year as all hitches related to the construction and renovation of the stadiums had been sorted out. The Minister also announced that the government was considering a 1 per cent job reservation for sportspersons.