A week-long cleaning drive will be launched in Kerala’s schools from May 21 to 27 in the run-up to the reopening on June 1, the general education department has announced.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the representatives of various teachers’ associations convened by General Education Minister V Sivankutty in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, May 16, as per a report by The New Indian Express.
The minister said teachers’ associations will play a key role in the cleaning drive. Deputy directors will be assigned district-wise responsibilities in the run-up to school reopening and a minimum of 200 working days will be ensured in the upcoming academic year.
Other plans
Another meeting will soon be convened to finalise the academic calendar for 2023-24. To implement the noon meal scheme efficiently, better coordination will be ensured between Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), local residents and alumni of the institution, he announced.
Sivankutty warned teachers against conducting private tuition or associating with coaching centres. Strict action will be taken against teachers who skip valuation camps and training programmes.
The meeting also decided to set up school-level ‘jagratha samithees’ for implementing activities against drug abuse. The samithees will comprise officials from the police and the excise departments, elected representatives, PTA members and teachers.
Steps will be taken to implement orders relating to reservations for the differently-abled in teaching posts. The minister said directions have been issued to rectify internet connectivity issues in schools and better synergy will be ensured between autonomous agencies under the department such as KITE, Samagra Shiksha Kerala and SCERT.
Besides representatives of various teachers’ associations, general education secretary Rani George and director of general education Shanavas S and other senior officials of the department were present at the meeting.
