Kerala will roll out the Digital Square project in about 6,000 lower primary and upper primary schools to strengthen digital learning facilities, General Education Minister N Samsudheen said in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
The announcement is part of the state government’s 100-day action programme. Under the programme, high school students will also receive training in artificial intelligence and robotics, while a separate initiative will create awareness about cyber security among students, the minister said.
Samsudheen said the state government and the General Education Department were taking steps to address problems faced by teachers and students. The announcement did not specify the total financial allocation, the equipment to be installed under the Digital Square project or the implementation schedule for individual schools.
The project is aimed at lower primary and upper primary schools, while the artificial intelligence and robotics training programme is intended for high school students. The minister did not provide details on the number of students to be covered by the training, the institutions responsible for delivering it or the curriculum that will be introduced.
The minister also said the government was considering extending the school midday meal scheme to Plus Two and adding breakfast to the existing lunch provision. The Centre-sponsored PM POSHAN scheme, commonly known as the midday meal scheme, currently covers students up to Class 8.
Samsudheen said extending the meal programme to the higher secondary level would help provide nutritious food to all school students. The proposal remains under consideration, and no implementation date was announced.
On the Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test, or K-TET, the minister said the state government was bound to implement the Supreme Court’s verdict. He said a curative petition would be filed before the apex court to seek clarity on provisions of the judgment that had led to confusion among teachers. The process of filing the petition was under way, he said.
As part of the 100-day programme, around 1,700 pending appointments related to reservation for persons with disabilities had been identified and approved, according to the minister. The government was also examining arrangements to implement the court-mandated four per cent reservation in appointments by treating each district as a unit.
A special committee has been constituted to study issues faced by physical education teachers and recommend solutions. The committee is expected to submit its report within six months, Samsudheen said.
The minister also announced plans to constitute an expert committee to modernise vocational higher secondary education. The committee will examine course updates and links between vocational education and emerging employment opportunities. Further details on the committee’s composition and terms of reference were not provided.
