Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) wants the mother tongue to be the medium of instruction in preschool classes. This proposal has been included in the draft curriculum framework for school education prepared by the SCERT and released by Education Minister V Sivankutty on Monday.
According to the SCERT, evaluation of students by ranking should not be implemented in preschool classes. Preschool should not be converted into a place where students are taught academic lessons. Instead, the curriculum has to consider the young age of the children and prepare suitable lessons, said the SCERT.
‘Regulate screen time’
The draft also called upon the teachers and parents to restrict the time spent by the children on various electronic screens. It says that many children were spending excessive time before the electronic screen, which was curbing their physical activities and movements. Teachers should have the necessary expertise in technology to deal with these situations, it adds.
Other recommendations
The draft also suggests removing gender discrimination from the curriculum. Teachers, too, should ensure gender justice in their interactions with others.
Another crucial recommendation is to make vocational training available for people aged 18 and older. Facilities have to be arranged to learn Hindi as well as foreign languages such as German, French, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese. Similarly, people hailing from other areas of the country and residing in Kerala have to be taught the history, culture, and environment of the state, apart from Malayalam.
Yet another recommendation in the draft says that the basic qualification for appointment as ‘ayahs’ in preprimary schools should be SSLC (Class 10). They also should have passed a certificate course related to childcare.
Meanwhile, the report has criticized the government for not revising the eligibility norms for appointment as teachers in preprimary schools. The Director of General Education, Dr S Shanawas presided over the function where the draft was released.