Kerala To Reward Grace Marks To School Students For Reading Activities
Kerala will award grace marks to students who develop reading habits, with a dedicated period for books, newspapers, and related activities from the next academic year.
Kerala's state-run schools will soon reward students with 'grace marks" for developing reading habits, starting from the next academic year, State General Education Minister V Sivankutty announced on Wednesday.
In a Facebook post, the minister said a dedicated period would be allocated for reading books, newspapers, and related activities as part of the initiative.
'Grace marks will be awarded from the next academic year to children who engage in activities that promote reading habits," Sivankutty said.
The programme will cater to students across all school levels. For those in grades one to four, weekly sessions will focus on age-appropriate reading activities. Students in grades five to twelve will participate in similar sessions, with a focus on newspaper reading and follow-up exercises, he explained.
To ensure effective implementation, teachers will be given training, and a handbook will be prepared to guide the reading-related activities.
Sivankutty added that the Education Department is also considering the inclusion of a reading-focused segment in 'Kalolsavam," the state's annual school arts festival, to further encourage literacy and reading engagement among students.
Kerala Minister Denies Centre's Claim Of School Closures, Calls It 'Baseless'
Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Tuesday strongly rejected the Centre's assertion that more than 200 government schools in the state have been shut down. Calling the claim 'baseless" and a deliberate attempt to tarnish Kerala's image, the minister stressed that no government school has been closed in the state over the past nine years.
In a Facebook post, Sivankutty clarified that the figures cited by the Centre actually refer to Multi Grade Learning Centres (MGLCs), which were launched in 1992 under the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP). These centres, he explained, could not function as schools after the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, prompting their phased closure.
The minister added that students from these centres were provided with free transportation and other facilities to attend nearby schools, ensuring uninterrupted access to education.
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