Keralam Schools to Reopen on June 1, Admissions from May 22

Thiruvananthapuram: Schools in the state will reopen on June 1 after the summer vacation, along with elaborate “praveshanolsavam” (school reopening celebrations), according to the Minister for General Education, V Sivankutty. He also announced that admissions for Class 1 will begin on May 22, during a press briefing.

Uniforms and textbooks for students from Classes 1 to 8 will be provided free of cost. The minister further clarified that no written tests or capitation fees are permitted for admission to Class 1. He also reiterated that the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 applies to unaided schools as well, under Section 13 of the Act.

In keeping with a decade-long practice, textbooks for the upcoming academic year will be distributed to students before schools reopen. Books for government and aided schools began arriving at district hubs in early February. For the new academic year, around 2.7 million textbooks across Classes 1 to 10, in two volumes, are expected to be required. Distribution will be completed as printing progresses, and once about one million books are ready, they will begin to be supplied to societies and distribution centres.

As part of curriculum updates, robotics has been included in the Class 10 syllabus. Advanced robotic kits will be distributed to high schools through KITE Kerala. Schools that already have KITE units had received robotics kits in previous years, but this time upgraded advanced versions will be provided. Students will also receive training from Internet of Things (IoT)on device development and applications.