Kerala’s schools opened their doors on June 3rd following a two-month summer holiday, with students being greeted by the State government’s ‘Praveshanolsavam’ event, marking the commencement of the new academic year. This year, several notable changes have been implemented, including the introduction of updated textbooks and a new answer sheet evaluation system.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the state-level ‘Praveshanolsavam’ at the Government Higher Secondary School, Elamakkara. The event was presided over by Minister for General Education V Sivankutty. Across the state, 2,44,646 children are commencing Class 1 this year.
Revised textbooks for Classes 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 now feature chapters that promote gender equality, representing the first update in a decade. Another noteworthy adjustment is the reinstatement of minimum marks requirements for all subjects in Class 10, which had been discontinued in 2005. Furthermore, the continuous assessment process will no longer involve ‘grading on a curve’, and the expectation of 100% pass rates has been removed.
In addition, the government has put an end to the ‘all pass’ policy for Classes 1 to 9, which previously guaranteed that no student would fail up to Class 9. According to Education Minister V Sivankutty, studies and examinations will now be conducted more rigorously to enhance educational standards.