The Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights sends a letter to the government, seeking the reasons for the decreasing student strength in schools, even as a school headmaster in Malappuram's Kondotty says he was forced to reject at least 200 applications for admission to Class 8. These two incidents reveal the contradictions the state's general education sector has been facing.

Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights wrote a letter to the government, based on a petition it had received. The Commission sought to know the reasons for the declining student strength in public schools despite the government spending over ₹5,000 crore to augment facilities over the past nine years as part of the general education protection scheme.

According to official statistics, the government has spent more than ₹5,000 crore to upgrade school facilities, including buildings, laboratories, libraries, and to set up 45,000 smart classrooms.

Minister for General Education V Sivankutty replied to the Commission, saying that the decline in student strength was proportionate to the state's decreasing population. "Children born in 2019 took admission to Class 1 in the previous academic year," the minister said. "The state registered 5.5 lakh childbirths in 2009, which declined to 4.8 lakh in 2019. This decrease is reflected in the strength of Class I students." Sivankutty further pointed out that 35,000 new students were admitted to Classes 2 to 10. 

More students, but no seats
Is the declining population the only reason for low admission rates? While investigating the challenges and prospects of the general education sector in Kerala, an aided school at Kondotty in the Malappuram district provided a different perspective.

"I had to reject applications of at least 200 students seeking admission to Class VIII," the school's headmaster said. "We had already admitted double the strength to existing batches. If more students are admitted, we need more classes and teachers. This is a major challenge as it is difficult to get it sanctioned. We had no other alternative other than to reject the applications," the school official added.

Appointments of teachers have been dragging on due to technical issues, forcing school managements to adopt a similar stand to the Kondotty headmaster. The managements are facing a crisis with the government halting the recruitment of teachers to ensure reservation for the differently-abled in appointments.

Even as the government has been spending crores of rupees to develop basic infrastructure in schools, the recruitment of government teachers has been proceeding at a snail's pace. Sanctions to recruit aided-school teachers are also delayed.

Textbooks, the democratic way
A total revision of textbooks has been completed in this academic year. Textbooks were finalised based on wide discussions involving all stakeholders. Manorama, too, was part of the task through its series, "Rachikaam Nalayude Paadangal" (Let's script tomorrow's lessons), published three years ago.

Textbooks were prepared by soliciting the views of students too. Subject experts examined the effectiveness of the books in addressing the new age and the requirements of the future. This was done after General Education Minister V Sivankutty announced that the government is considering revising the textbooks annually.

This series also looks into the changes textbooks have undergone, and what more to be done. The first part of the investigation looks at science.

Positive changes, more to go
(Dr Jijo P Ulahannan, Professor, Department of Physics, Government College, Kasaragod).

The revised science textbook gives importance to lessons within and outside the classroom, such as observation, field trips, laboratory experiments, preparation of papers and presentation. It enables students to learn from examples taken from their lives.

All textbooks are descriptive with 3D illustrations. One aspect worth noting is the presentation of contemporary issues and their practical and social relevance. Class 9 Physics and Chemistry textbooks have included the required equations and mathematical forms. All textbooks, including Biology, contains modern theories and facts. These textbooks are superior than their National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) counterparts that have not been revised for long.

However, it would have been better if subject-related links via QR Codes were provided to make learning more experiential. The use of virtual reality, too, would have made it better.

Additionally, providing a summary of the lesson, its aim, and the major takeaways in brief at the end of the chapter would be beneficial. The knowledge and skill sets a student is expected to acquire could have been included as an executive summary or introductory note in each textbook.

It is laudable that IT lessons are introduced in Class 5 itself. The IT lessons will equip the students with the practical knowledge to use various tools, as well as means to keep them in tune with contemporary technology. However, coding is not included adequately even in Class 10. Lessons on artificial intelligence, too, seem to have taken a backseat.

Lessons which teachers studied in college are now being introduced at the school level. Though this has been the trend, the coming days are likely to see an increase in the inclusion of such lessons in school textbooks.

Schools should go beyond buildings
Joy Sebastian, the Chief Executive Officer of Cherthala-based Techgentsia Software Technologies Pvt Ltd, gave a clear picture of Kerala's general education sector.

"Both my children began their education in an unaided school near my residence. They were transferred to aided schools when the older one was in Class 9 and the second in Class 5. Based on my experience, I can say that the physical facilities of aided schools have improved. But I am not sure this is the case with aided schools in rural areas," he said.

Sebastian opined that aided schools have to improve their teaching quality. "Students, who has parents to help them back home, are performing well. But schools should pay more attention to the children of commoners, who cannot provide a better learning atmosphere after school," he said.

He called for strong learning support for children in schools. "It should go beyond impressive buildings," Sebastian said. The technocrat further suggested a joint effort by teachers, parents, society, local bodies and people's representatives to ensure quality education.

Our children too, says Ministers 

MB Rajesh, Minister for Local Self Governments

"My wife was a school teacher. As a people's representative, I spent most of the funds on the development of public schools. We felt it was our responsibility to admit our children to a public school. Our eldest daughter, Niranjana, who studied in a public school, is now pursuing a degree from the Central University in Hyderabad. Our younger daughter, Priyadatta, is a Class 9 student of the Government Girls Higher Secondary School at Pattom. Parents need not hesitate to admit their wards to public schools, which now have excellent basic facilities and good teachers."

P Prasad, Minister for Agriculture.

"I have 100 per cent confidence in our public schools. My older son is pursuing Plus-One from an aided school, while my daughter is a Class 9 student in a government school. The teachers are appointed based on their excellence in PSC exams. The government is ensuring basic facilities in schools. Timely changes are being made to schools, including classrooms."