Latest news with #GeneralEducationDepartment
New Indian Express
29-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Teacher training in Kerala to evolve into professional development programme
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Teacher training in government and aided schools in the state is set for a major transformation with the rollout of a professional development programme for teachers up to High School level from next year. For the first time, close to 1.7 lakh teachers from Lower Primary to High School sections will be brought under a learner management system (LMS) that periodically tracks and records their training progress as well as their professional accomplishments. "In addition to the five day offline training that is being imparted at present, the new system will also have projects, assignments and tests in online mode for teachers. This will be conducted on a periodic basis to assess if the training has met its objectives," a senior official of the General Education Department told TNIE. A project of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the professional development programme will be imparted to newly-recrutied teachers on a pilot basis. It will have various modules and credits will be awarded online on the successful completion of each module The LMS will have the provision for teachers to add their professional accomplishments such as completion of various online courses, participation in seminars and other academic achievements. It will act as an officially-recognised professional portfolio that can be easily accessed online. "Whether the professional accomplishments registered in the teachers' online portfolio needs to be considered for matters such as promotion is a call the government needs to take. However, it can definitely be considered as a yardstick for choosing the best teachers as resource persons for various projects or entrusting them with additional responsibilities," the official added. The SCERT has proposed the rollout of the professional development progrramme for the 1.7 lakh teachers in a phased manner over the next three years. In the next academic year. teachers in LP Section will be brought under LMS followed by UP and High School in the following years. Inclusion of around 28,000 higher secondary teachers in the programme will be considered at a later stage. As per the plan, while teachers of a particular section will receive five days of training under the revised programme, the existing five-day cluster training will continue for the remaining sections. "We are also thinking of coming out with separate training modules for teachers in accordance with their age or years of service. This would mean that not all teachers of a particular section would receive the same kind of training," the official added.
India Today
23-05-2025
- India Today
Kerala Minister reveals 77 existing Pocso cases in state education department
Kerala's Education Minister V Sivankutty revealed that there were, in all, 77 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) cases reported against employees working under the General Education Department. Of these, 65 are teachers and 12 are non-teaching action has followed in several cases, he said. 'One employee was given compulsory pension after completing the departmental proceedings, nine have been dismissed, and one has been removed from service. Disciplinary action has been initiated against 45 others. The rest are being dealt with on priority,' the Minister government has instructed that all pending disciplinary actions in Pocso-related cases more than a year old must be acted upon. The Director of Public Education has also been directed to ensure follow-up in cases where action is yet to be taken. In the Vocational Higher Secondary section, three Pocso cases have been reported, involving two teachers and a lab technical assistant. All three cases are pending in court, and disciplinary procedures are underway, he the Higher Secondary section, 21 teachers have been suspended, 14 from government schools and seven from the aided sector. Four of these cases pertain to the ongoing academic year (2024–25), informed the Minister.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Awareness classes on rising violence will be held in schools: Women's panel chief
In response to the rising incidents of violence in the State, State Women's Commission will introduce awareness classes on healthy relationships for students starting this academic year, Kerala State Women's Commission Chairperson P. Sathidevi has said. The sessions aim to foster value-based personal development among adolescents and will be conducted in coordination with the General Education Department's new initiative, 'Koodeyundu Karutthekan' (Together to Empower). Ms. Sathidevi was speaking at the district-level adalat organised by the Commission, where she highlighted that many of the cases they received were related to domestic abuse. 'What we're witnessing across the State are crimes that numb the conscience,' she said. She pointed out that beyond domestic violence, issues stemming from alcohol abuse and neighbourhood disputes are also on the rise. 'Minor conflicts are escalating into major fights, verbal abuse, and even violence. This reflects the heightened tension in our social environment,' she added. These conflicts in houses have a deep impact on children, affecting their perception of family itself. 'If these patterns continue, children will grow up without a healthy view of family relationships. The lack of democratic dialogue within households needs urgent correction,' she warned. Ms.. Sathidevi also noted a disturbing trend of women increasingly being implicated in violent behaviour. The adalat held at Thrissur Town Hall reviewed 80 complaints. Of these, 28 were resolved. Four were referred to the police and two to vigilance committees for further investigation. The remaining 46 were deferred to the next sitting.
Indian Express
19-05-2025
- Indian Express
Kerala becomes first state to mandate robotics education for all Class 10 students
In a pioneering initiative, Kerala has emerged as the first state in the country to make robotics education mandatory for all 4.3 lakh students of class 10, starting from the upcoming academic year on June 2. The integration of robotics into the 10th-grade ICT textbook, specifically the sixth chapter titled 'The World of Robots' in the first volume, will empower students to explore fundamental robotics concepts through engaging activities, an official statement said on Sunday. These include circuit construction, utilising sensors and actuators, and controlling electronic devices using computer programming, K Anvar Sadath, CEO of KITE and Chairman of the ICT Textbook Committee, said in a statement. KITE is the technical arm of the General Education Department of the Kerala government. It has already distributed 29,000 robotic kits to high schools across the state to ensure the effective implementation of this curriculum. 'This ambitious initiative builds upon Kerala's prior success in making Artificial Intelligence (AI) learning accessible to all seventh-grade students, another national first achieved in the previous academic year,' Sadath said. Demonstrating a continued commitment to future-ready skills, AI learning has now been incorporated into the ICT textbooks for grades 8, 9, and 10 as well. The practical experience gained from the robotics curriculum piloted for Little KITEs (Kerala's IT club for students) has been instrumental in shaping this comprehensive rollout for all class 10 students, the statement further said. The initial hands-on activity in the textbook challenges students to utilise components from the provided robotic kits – such as Arduino breadboards, IR sensors, servo motors, and jumper wires – to construct an automated sanitiser dispenser that activates upon detecting a hand, it said. Progressing further, students will also delve into creating AI-powered smart home automation systems, including face-recognition-enabled smart doors. To facilitate this, they will utilize the 'Face Detection Built-in Model' within the Pictoblocks software's programming IDE, leveraging webcams on laptops and Arduino kits supplied by KITE to program door-opening mechanisms. KITE's innovative robotics learning approach is designed to equip students with the skills to address a wide range of practical problems through cutting-edge technologies. KITE has already conducted the first phase of training on the new tenth-grade ICT textbook for 9,924 teachers. Sadath said dedicated robotics training for teachers will be organised in July. Furthermore, KITE will ensure the availability of additional robotic kits, extending support to unaided schools following the state syllabus that may require them. The ICT textbook is being provided to all students in Malayalam, English, Tamil, and Kannada mediums, the official added in the statement.
News18
18-05-2025
- News18
Kerala First In India To Make Robotics Education Mandatory For Class 10
Last Updated: Kerala mandates robotics education for all 4.3 lakh class 10 students from June 2, including hands-on activities like circuit construction and AI-powered smart home systems. In a pioneering initiative, Kerala has emerged as the first state in the country to make robotics education mandatory for all 4.3 lakh students of class 10, starting from the upcoming academic year on June 2. The integration of robotics into the tenth-grade ICT textbook, specifically the sixth chapter titled "The World of Robots" in the first volume, will empower students to explore fundamental robotics concepts through engaging activities, an official statement said on Sunday. These include circuit construction, utilising sensors and actuators, and controlling electronic devices using computer programming, K Anvar Sadath, CEO of KITE and Chairman of the ICT Textbook Committee, said in a statement. KITE is the technical arm of the General Education Department of the Kerala government. It has already distributed 29,000 robotic kits to high schools across the state to ensure the effective implementation of this curriculum. "This ambitious initiative builds upon Kerala's prior success in making Artificial Intelligence (AI) learning accessible to all seventh-grade students, another national first achieved in the previous academic year," Sadath said. Demonstrating a continued commitment to future-ready skills, AI learning has now been incorporated into the ICT textbooks for grades 8, 9, and 10 as well. The practical experience gained from the robotics curriculum piloted for Little KITEs (Kerala's IT club for students) has been instrumental in shaping this comprehensive rollout for all class 10 students, the statement further said. The initial hands-on activity in the textbook challenges students to utilise components from the provided robotic kits – such as Arduino breadboards, IR sensors, servo motors, and jumper wires – to construct an automated sanitiser dispenser that activates upon detecting a hand, it said. Progressing further, students will also delve into creating AI-powered smart home automation systems, including face-recognition-enabled smart doors. To facilitate this, they will utilize the 'Face Detection Built-in Model' within the Pictoblocks software's programming IDE, leveraging webcams on laptops and Arduino kits supplied by KITE to program door-opening mechanisms. KITE's innovative robotics learning approach is designed to equip students with the skills to address a wide range of practical problems through cutting-edge technologies. KITE has already conducted the first phase of training on the new tenth-grade ICT textbook for 9,924 teachers. Sadath said dedicated robotics training for teachers will be organised in July. Furthermore, KITE will ensure the availability of additional robotic kits, extending support to unaided schools following the state syllabus that may require them. The ICT textbook is being provided to all students in Malayalam, English, Tamil, and Kannada mediums, the official added in the statement. First Published: May 18, 2025, 16:38 IST
