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News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Kerala To Reward Grace Marks To School Students For Reading Activities
Last Updated: 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. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
No government school has closed down in Kerala in nine years: Minister
Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has denied that government schools in Kerala are closing down. Not a single government school in the State was closed in the past nine years, the Minister said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. Union government statistics that showed a decline in government schools were baseless and an attempt to discredit the State, Mr. Sivankutty alleged. Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, in reply to an unstarred question by K. Radhakrishnan, MP, in the Lok Sabha on closure of government schools across the country, had submitted that 205 schools had closed down from 2019-20 to 2023-24 (201 from 2021-22). Referring to the numbers, Mr. Sivankutty said these were related to multi-grade learning centres (MGLCs), started as part of District Primary Education Programme (DPEP), a Centrally sponsored scheme, in the early 1990s. Once the Right to Education was passed, these could not continue as schools and were gradually phased out. Facilities, including free transport, had been arranged for the MGLC students to shift to nearby schools. As per the figures presented in the Lok Sabha, there were 5,014 government schools in 2019-20. It rose to 5,020 in 2020-21, fell to 5010 a year later, and further declined to 4,811 in 2022-23 and 4,809 in 2023-24. the data were sourced from UDISE and UDISE+ databases on school education in the country. 'Not updated data' Officials say UDISE+ data is directly updated by schools and hence not properly validated by the General Education department. Sampoorna is the State's official school management portal for everything from student strength to textbooks distribution and scholarships, but the Union government does not use this data. It had been proposed sometime ago that data on the Sampoorna portal along with other parameter details be collected and submitted to the Union government. However, that did not happen. Moreover, the data on UDISE was not up to date, unlike in the State where it is updated on the sixth working day every year. The UDISE data quoted by the Union government was not updated for even the 2024-25 academic year, they point out. The MGLC were not really considered government schools, they point out. According to the Sametham portal maintained by the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education, there are 5,813 government schools in the State.
News18
17-07-2025
- General
- News18
Kerala Schools Introduce New Seating Arrangement To Eliminate Concept Of Backbenchers
The school has implemented an innovative seating arrangement where single row seats are aligned with the four walls of the classroom, ensuring everyone sits in front benches. Ramavilasom Vocational Higher Secondary School (RVHSS) in Valakom, a district in South Kerala has become a model for educational innovation with a unique classroom setup that eliminates the concept of backbenchers. To ensure every primary student receives equal attention, RVHSS has garnered admiration and imitation, reported PTI. Inspired by the recently released Malayalam movie 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan', the school has implemented an innovative seating arrangement where single row seats are aligned with the four walls of the classroom, ensuring everyone sits in front benches. This seating arrangement has already been adopted by eight schools in Kerala, and even a school in Punjab has embraced it. 'I got a message that a school in Punjab has also adopted it after the principal saw the movie on the OTT platform. He also screened the movie for the students. I am happy that it got national attention," Vinesh Viswanathan, director of the movie 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan' told the news agency. He added that the movie had just one scene showing this arrangement, as an idea implemented by a seventh standard student in the film. 'It was his experience of being insulted sitting on the backbench that gave him such an idea. I never thought it would get such attention. It is not an idea created by us, but we did have such a seating arrangement earlier in classrooms, as part of District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) and we had lost it somewhere in between," Vinesh said. Minister K B Ganesh Kumar, whose family operates RMVHSS, played a crucial role in introducing this new system to the school. After watching a preview of 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan' a year before its release, he discussed implementing it in RMVHSS primary classes with the teachers. At first, the school decided to start it in class 1 and after receiving good feedback, it expanded it to all lower primary classes, Sunil P Sekhar, Headmaster of RMVHSS, told PTI. He noted that this system allowed teachers to give equal attention to all students, facilitating better student monitoring. Additionally, it eliminated the concept of backbenchers, putting every student in a position of prominence. 'Lower primary classes are where students learn a lot of new things and they naturally get rid of the concept or taboo of sitting on the backbenches. It also helps students to have a more direct interaction with the teachers," he added. According to the teachers, such systems are already practiced in countries like Finland and Norway with a better student-teacher ratio in schools. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
From Screen To Classroom: How A Malayalam Movie Inspired A Kerala School's Innovative Seating
A government school in Kerala has caught national attention for reshaping classroom dynamics, quite literally. Moving away from the age-old idea of "backbenchers," Ramavilasom Vocational Higher Secondary School (RVHSS) in Valakom, Kollam, has introduced a new seating system where every student sits in the front row, reports PTI. Seats are now placed along all four walls of the classroom, ensuring equal visibility and access to the teacher for each child. The idea was sparked by a scene from the recent Malayalam film Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, where a Class 7 student proposes the layout after being mocked for sitting at the back. "It was his experience of being insulted sitting on the backbench that gave him such an idea. I never thought it would get such attention. It is not an idea created by us, but we did have such a seating arrangement earlier in classrooms, as part of the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP), and we had lost it somewhere in between," Vinesh Viswanathan, director of the film, told PTI. "I got a message that a school in Punjab has also adopted it after the principal saw the movie on the OTT platform. He also screened the movie for the students. I am happy that it got national attention," he added. The model gained early support from Kerala's Minister K. B. Ganesh Kumar, whose family runs RMVHSS. Having previewed the film a year before its release, the Minister initiated discussions with the school staff and introduced the new layout in one primary class. The results were so encouraging that the system is now in place across all lower primary sections of the school. Sunil P. Sekhar, the headmaster, said that it allows them to give equal attention to every child and breaks the stereotype of backbenchers being neglected or distracted. "I am able to attend to each of the students in the classroom and give better care to each of them. The students are also happy as they see the faces of all students in the classroom and pay close attention to the teacher," said veteran teacher Meera, who has nearly 30 years of experience. The concept has now spread to at least eight other schools in Kerala and is also being noticed by educators elsewhere in India. While some critics on social media question its feasibility in overcrowded classrooms, Viswanathan counters that such conditions go against school norms, and authorities are taking note. Interestingly, Anand Mahindra even reacted positively to the idea on social media, calling it a welcome move, despite admitting he is fond of the "backbencher" identity. As RVHSS celebrates former student G. P. Nandana's remarkable feat, securing rank 2 in Kerala and 47 nationwide in the Civil Services Exam, it is also earning praise for this bold and thoughtful innovation in education.
India Today
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Kerala school adopts new seating model to eliminate backbenchers in class
At Ramavilasom Vocational Higher Secondary School (RVHSS) in Valakom, Kollam district, a unique educational innovation is reshaping classroom dynamics. Inspired by a scene from the Malayalam film Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, the school has implemented a new seating arrangement that completely removes the concept of "backbenchers", giving every student equal visibility and new layout positions individual student desks along all four walls of the classroom, forming a square-like arrangement where everyone is essentially in the 'front row.' Initially introduced in RVHSS's lower primary classes, the model has quickly gained traction and praise, with eight other schools in Kerala and even one in Punjab adopting SPARKS A CHANGE IN CLASSROOMSDirector Vinesh Viswanathan, who helmed Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, said the idea shown briefly in the film was not entirely fictional. 'It was inspired by real experiences and practices we had seen in the past, especially during the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) years,' he said. The film depicted a Class 7 student proposing the new seating model after feeling left out as a backbencher, a moment that clearly resonated with educators and audiences alike. Vinesh shared that a school principal in Punjab watched the film on an OTT platform, introduced the layout, and even screened the movie for students, leading to further interest 'S VISION FUELS IMPLEMENTATIONThe transformation at RMVHSS was also catalysed by Kerala minister K B Ganesh Kumar, whose family manages the school. After previewing the film before its release, he discussed the idea with faculty and encouraged its pilot implementation in one classroom. Following overwhelmingly positive feedback, the model was extended to all lower primary classes.'We noticed improved student engagement and better teacher-student interaction,' said RMVHSS headmaster Sunil P Sekhar. 'The format not only eliminated backbench-related stigma but also helped teachers monitor all students more effectively.'TEACHERS PRAISE THE SHIFTMeera, a lower primary school teacher with nearly three decades of experience, shared her enthusiasm for the change. 'This setup allows me to connect with every child in the classroom. The students too seem more attentive and feel included,' she observed that students, especially in the formative years, benefited from direct teacher engagement and an inclusive classroom environment. They also highlighted that similar models are widely practised in countries like Finland and Norway, where student-centric classroom designs and lower student-teacher ratios are the REACTIONS AND WIDER CONVERSATIONSWhile the initiative has largely been met with appreciation, including a supportive tweet from business leader Anand Mahindra, it has also sparked debate. Some older students on social media questioned the feasibility of the model in overcrowded classrooms, citing issues of space. Responding to such concerns, Vinesh pointed out that classrooms with 80 students violate norms and should not exist under current educational minor criticism, the model's growing popularity signals a broader shift in how classrooms are being reimagined — prioritising inclusion, engagement, and student well-being over outdated more schools express interest in adopting this approach, Kerala could well lead a quiet revolution in reshaping not just where students sit, but how they learn.(With PTI inputs)- EndsTune InMust Watch
