Ask any school student in Kerala and they will tell you how much they look forward to April every year. The academic year and the final examinations usually end by March 31 and the little ones are free for the next two months of summer.
However, 2020 is no regular year. The schools were shut early, owing to the lockdown, but no student has an option to go out and play. In that scenario, the Kerala Government's School Education department has come up with a series of edutainment programmes for the students through its e-portal called Samagra.
"As many as 45 lakh students are currently staying inside their homes to fight the Coronavirus. In this time, you must make maximum use of the technology and opportunities available to you," wrote the state's School Education Minister Professor C Raveendranath on April 3. "Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) and The State Council of Education Research and Training(SCERT) have introduced a programme called 'Avadhikkaala Santhoshangal' (Holiday happiness) for you all to learn and enjoy," reads the post.
The portal currently has edutainment content for students from classes V to X in Malayalam. "Students can access these games and chapters through your parents' phones," wrote the Minister. He also has a solution for students who have no access to technology and gadgets. "1.2 Lakh laptops have been given to government schools across the state as part of the High Tech scheme. You can make use of these laptops too," he says.
