Thiruvananthapuram: Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on Thursday hailed the public education system for enrolling an additional 2.5 lakh students during the last two years.
Presenting the budget, he said that of these, 94 percent were students who had obtained TC from other schools. The expectations of the general public were heightened by the expansion of amenities in general education sector.
The ongoing teachers' training programmes will continue. But, there is need to move from training to the transformation of teachers. To achieve this goal, a two-week residential course for teachers will be initiated. Over the next five years all the teachers will pass through this mould.
With the co-operation of artists who are in receipt of diamond year fellowship, art centres will be opened in selected schools in all districts, which will be functional on holidays. An amount of Rs. 7 crore is set apart for such arts and sports parks.
The minister termed the national skill qualification framework initiated by the centre for vocational training as disappointing. However, the state cannot avoid this scheme. Vocational higher secondary schools cannot be retained in the present manner.
Vocational training is required even in higher secondary schools. It is desired to create a Kerala model in this regard. "We think about school workshops being given guidance by the voluntary technical experts from our higher technical institutions and not by hired private institutes," he said.
He announced separate projects for academic excellence in English, arithmetic and social science.
A separate training session will be organised under the aegis of this project to enable the teachers to impart practical English language skills to the pupils.
An amount of Rs. 10 crore is earmarked for remedial education programme named 'SRADHA.' Special emphasis will be provided through it for the pupils who are unable to achieve minimum learning level in arithmetic. Besides, a new learning support programme outside the school has been formulated in backward regions.
