After summer vacation, Kerala schools restart with updated texts and an assessment system

Keralan schools returned on Monday following a two-month summer break, welcome pupils with the State government's 'Praveshanolsavam' ceremony to commemorate the start of the new school year. Significant adjustments have been made this year, such as updated textbooks and a new system for evaluating response sheets.

The state-level 'Praveshanolsavam' was opened at the Government Higher Secondary School in Elamakkara by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan, Minister P Rajeev, and other dignitaries attended the event, which was emceed by Minister for General Education V Sivankutty. 2,44,646 kids are beginning first grade in the state this year.

Chapters advocating for gender equality have been added to the updated textbooks for Classes 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, which is the first revision in ten years. The reinstatement of the minimum mark criteria for every subject in Class 10, which were removed in 2005, is another significant development. Grading on a curve will no longer be used for continuous assessment, and passing rates of 100% are no longer expected.

Furthermore, the government has chosen to discontinue the "all pass" program for Classes 1 through 9, which had previously guaranteed that no student would fail up to that point. In an effort to raise educational standards, courses and exams will now be administered with greater rigor, according to Education Minister V Sivankutty.