KERALA model of development has been acclaimed the world over for achieving human development indices that places it at par with several developed countries. A few years back Kerala was mentioned by the UN as the only state in India which lies at the very high in Human Development Index (HDI).

A UNDP working paper titled 'Human Development in India: Costs of Inequality', estimated losses in human development due to inequality in different dimensions across Indian states. The loss was highest with respect to education (43 percent), followed by health (34 percent) and income (16 percent). While the average loss in human development due to inequality stood at 32 percent for the whole of India, it was the lowest in Kerala, at only 17 percent, thanks to the Kerala Model.   

To ensure that the Kerala Model is taken to its next logical step, the state is administering four missions. Each mission caters to a specific area that needs immediate intervention, i.e., agriculture, health, housing and education. Through the 'Pothu Vidyabhyasa Samrakshana Yajnam' (mission to protect public education) Kerala is re-investing heavily in public education to ensure that its students are prepared for a changing world, equipped with information, knowledge and skills, which will help them to compete with fellow students from around the world. 200 school days and 1,000 learning hours are mandated under the mission to achieve that.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

Kerala's universal public education has played a significant role in ensuring that Kerala achieved the high levels of HDI mentioned above. It paved the foundation for a democratic, secular and progressive ethos in modern Kerala society, by providing education to all children without discriminating on the basis of caste, religion or gender. It created a highly skilled work force in Kerala and also enabled Malayalis to migrate to different parts of the world as skilled and semi-skilled workers. This in-turn strengthened Kerala's economy through remittances. The mission is an effort to further build on that strong foundation.

Some of Kerala's advances in public education had taken a back seat with the introduction of erroneous policies in the recent past. A trend was developing in which students were leaving public schools in favour of private schools, where they have to pay hefty fees for their education. The mission seeks to regain the once lost public trust in government and government aided schools, and provide education free of cost for the entire student population of the state. Kerala considers it as an investment for the future.

There are over 13,000 schools in government and government aided sectors in Kerala. With Kerala having a long history of over two centuries of modern school education, there are many schools that have been functional for over a century. There are schools that are even as old as 200 years. Needless to say, the basic infrastructure of many of these old schools needs to be upgraded. Through the mission, each government school with over 1000 students will get up to Rs 3 crore for basic infrastructure development. Aided schools will get government support of up to Rs 1 crore for the same, equivalent to the money raised by the management.

The education mission is being run as a people's programme. A master plan for each school is being prepared with the active participation of the students, teachers, parents, local public and alumni of each school. They will ascertain what their school needs and developmental activities will be carried out accordingly. Apart from the government sanctioned funds, the PTA, the alumni and the local public will also generate funds to ensure that there is a collective ownership on the developmental works. Schools are sought to be raised to international standards by developing their physical infrastructure and making IT based facilities available.

CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE

As part of the mission, 1,000 schools are being upgraded into centres of excellence by improving their infrastructure. In the first phase, the basic infrastructure of 141 schools is being improved by providing Rs 5 crore each. In 229 schools, basic infrastructure is being developed at a cost of Rs 3 crore each. This year, developmental works to the tune of Rs 1,392 crore is being carried out in 370 schools. Apart from the funds being allocated outside the budget through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board for much of the infrastructure work in schools, an amount of Rs 970 crore is earmarked for school education under plan allocation of Kerala's budget for 2018-19.

Basic infrastructure is being upgraded in every school that has more than 500 students, through Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board. Each school will get between Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 1 crore as assistance. Schools that are over 150 years old are being designated as heritage schools and special funds are earmarked for them. Rs 300 crore is being expended from KIIFB to establish computer labs in all primary and upper primary schools.

In the first phase 45,000 classrooms of 4,775 schools are being made hi-tech in the high and higher secondary levels. In the next phase, IT based learning facilities will be made available in primary and upper primary levels also. Computer, projector, screen and internet connection is being made available to ensure that students can learn using information and digital technologies. Rs 500 crores are being spent for the same. Funds are being issued for the renovation of libraries and labs, as well as for preparing amphitheatres and dining halls.

IT@School project, an FOSS initiative, is being upgraded to KITE (Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education), to enhance digital learning facilities. It has prepared 'Samagra', an education resource portal, for use in the hi-tech classrooms. It is designed to help teachers transact online, all learning objectives in the school curriculum by using lesson plans. In addition, 'Samagra' features digital textbooks, question banks and e-resources which are accessible to all. It has over 19,000 digital resources in the form of videos, audio, pictures and interactive stimulations, which can be sorted class and subject wise. More than 77,000 teachers have been trained to use these facilities.

Over 100,000 students have been enrolled in IT clubs named 'Little Kites'. Students are being trained in different areas such as animation, hardware, electronics, cyber security, Malayalam computing etc., through these clubs. Bearing in mind the understanding that science and technology should benefit humankind at large, these clubs are being seen as incubators that will enable students to make leading contributions through IT, for societal transformation.

Biodiversity parks are being set up in schools to ensure that the students are aware of and in touch with nature. The upkeep and maintenance of such parks are being included in the curriculum to ensure that students' play an active role in the development of such parks in their schools. Through the Haritha Kerala Mission which focusses on agriculture and environment, plant saplings are being given to children so that they can nurture them. Children who do not have space in their homes to grow those saplings can grow them in their school compounds. 5 lakh saplings have already been distributed to school students.

SWELLING NUMBERS

As a result of the fresh impetus that the LDF Government in Kerala is giving to public education, parents have once again started reposing their faith in public schools. In 2017, a year after the interventions in the education sector began, the number of students in public schools rose by over 1,50,000. Just last month, when the 2018 academic session began, an influx of more than 1,80,000 students was seen in government and government aided schools. Parents are discontinuing their wards' education in private and CBSE schools and getting them admitted in the state board schools.

Despite the swelling numbers, the state government has been able to ensure textbooks and uniforms to all students well before the beginning of the academic year. During the previous UDF government's tenure, the beginning of each academic session was marred by severe delays in issuing textbooks to the students. The current government has taken an innovative step in using handloom cloth for preparing uniforms for students. This has also breathed fresh life into the ailing handloom industry. In fact, this year, the demand for uniforms was much higher than anticipated, that the handloom industry was unable to meet the expectations, despite deploying additional manpower.

Quality education is the right of every student. Kerala's interventions in public education are aimed at ensuring that students' right to quality education is upheld. Special attention is given to the upkeep of their health as well, through nutritious mid-day meals based on a balanced diet. Alongside, their talents in arts and sports are also developed through focussed interventions. While equipping students with information, knowledge and skills that will enable them to compete at the global arena, they are also instilled with the values of humanity that goes beyond narrow considerations of caste, religion and gender. Through its mission to protect and rejuvenate public education, Kerala is strengthening its foundation as a secular, democratic and progressive society.