Kerala sees 12k rise in First Grade enrolment for the first time in a decade, courtesy government's free uniforms, smart classes

Guess taking a book out of TN's sops-for-development agenda has actually worked for Kerala's School Education department, as they see a rise in primary enrolment after more than a decade

Picture for representative purpose only | EXPRESS

For the first time in a decade, there has been a spike in the number of children admitted to the first standard in schools across Kerala. Why this sudden rush in enrolment? Apparently, it's all courtesy the Kerala government's sops, from free handloom uniforms to smart classrooms, to woo more students to the public education sector seemed to have reaped its results. The number of students enrolled in Class 1in
government and aided schools has increased by 12,198 this year in the state, thanks to the innovative campaign to revive the public education system by the government.

This increase is for the first time in a decade in the state public education sector, the Education Department figures said. The government schools registered an increase of 5,703 students, while aided schools recorded an increase of 6,495 students in the first standard this year, it said. Besides, the number of students in standards 5 and 8 in government and aided schools has increased by 40,385 and 30,083, respectively, this year, the figures added.

Terming the increased number of students as a 'proud achievement', Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said it gives inspiration and encouragement to the state government to go forward with its campaign to revive public sector schools. This is for the first time that the number of students in public sector schools has registered such an increase in the last ten years, he said in a Facebook post

The Chief Minister also congratulated parents who have supported the campaign and sent their children to state-run schools and teachers for toiling hard to improve the standard of the public education system. The LDF government is committed to enhance the infrastructure and standard of the government schools, Vijayan added.

The state government had offered free handloom uniforms to 2.3 lakh students from Class 1 to 5 in this academic year, which began on June 1. Students of other classes would be brought under the ambitious programme in the next phase, official sources said. The Education Department had also made school learning digital from Class 1 this academic year with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) textbooks and smart classrooms.

Education