Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government plans to extend the school midday meal scheme up to Class 12 and introduce breakfast along with lunch, General Education Minister N Samsudheen said. “Necessary steps for implementing this will be taken,” the minister added.

Currently, students up to Class 8 are covered under the PM POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) scheme. Extending it to the higher secondary level would help ensure nutritious food for all school students, Samsudheen said.

He was speaking after inaugurating a state-level orientation workshop for district project coordinators and programme officers organised by Samagra Shiksha Kerala at the Vizhinjam Spark Pastoral Centre.

Samsudheen also said that the government is bound to implement the Supreme Court verdict on the Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test (K-TET). To address teachers’ concerns over the judgment, the government has decided to file a curative petition in the Supreme Court, and the process is underway.

As part of the state government's 100-day action plan, it has identified and approved around 1,700 pending appointments for persons with disabilities, he added. The government is also examining arrangements to implement the court-mandated four per cent reservation for persons with disabilities by treating each district as a unit.

The 'Digital Square' project is being implemented to provide digital learning facilities in lower and upper primary schools, with around 6,000 schools selected for the initiative.

The government will also launch programmes to train high school students in artificial intelligence and robotics and create awareness about cybersecurity.

A special committee has been appointed to study the issues faced by physical education teachers and recommend solutions. It is expected to submit its report within six months.

An expert committee will also be appointed to modernise vocational higher secondary education, update its courses and align them with emerging employment opportunities, the minister said.