Thiruvananthapuram, 31 May (H.S.) :
Schools across Kerala will reopen on Monday after the summer vacation, marking the beginning of the new academic year. Educational institutions throughout the state will organize special Praveshanolsavam (School Reopening Day) celebrations to welcome new students and create an encouraging learning environment.
The state-level inauguration of the academic year will be held at the Government Model Girls Higher Secondary School in Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will officially launch the programme and interact with students.
The state government has directed schools to keep formal speeches to a minimum and instead focus on interactive sessions and student-friendly activities. The aim is to make the reopening day engaging and memorable, particularly for children entering school for the first time.
As part of the government’s efforts to promote responsible digital behaviour, students, teachers and parents will jointly take a Cyber Safety Pledge. The initiative is intended to raise awareness about safe internet usage and online security among school communities.
The General Education Department has also finalized the academic calendar for the new school year to ensure that the mandated instructional hours are achieved across different levels of schooling.
For Lower Primary (LP) schools, the required instructional time is 800 hours. Since this target can be achieved within the regular schedule, Saturdays will remain holidays for LP students. Schools in this category will have a total of 197 working days during the academic year.
Upper Primary (UP) schools are required to complete 1,000 hours of instruction. To meet this requirement, three Saturdays during the year will be designated as working days.
At the high school level, where students are required to complete 1,200 hours of classroom instruction, seven Saturdays will be observed as working days to ensure adequate teaching time.
With schools set to reopen, thousands of students across Kerala are preparing to return to classrooms, while first-time entrants will be welcomed with colourful celebrations, cultural programmes and interactive activities designed to ease them into school life.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
