All schools in the State will be made centres of excellence. This will benefit the families of the underprivileged, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said

He was speaking after inaugurating online 92 school buildings, 48 higher secondary laboratories, and three higher secondary libraries and laying the foundation stone for 107 school buildings here on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister said State schools should be able to compete with the best. Hence, the government had tried to improve infrastructure and raise academic standards. During the previous Left Democratic Front government, construction activities to the tune of ₹4,000 crore had been taken up in the education sector alone. When schools reopen this year, students would not see the structures when last they had seen it.

Mr. Vijayan pointed out that as per a UNESCO study, the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the education of 126 crore children globally, and 32 crore in the country. As many as 130 crore children in the three-13 age group did not have Internet connectivity. In South Asia that included India, this number was 45 crore.

In the State, there were problems with availability of equipment and connectivity in some areas. However, equipment was made available with support from various quarters. Steps were also taken to ensure connectivity. Digital classes were held for students, and examinations too were held and results declared. The problems with digital education were also looked into. With focus on interactive classes and communication between students and teachers now, digital equipment should be ensured for all students.

Mr. Vijayan said ₹214 crore had been spent for constructing the new school buildings.

Fifty-eight buildings were built using Plan fund, MLA fund, SSK fund and other funds.

An amount of ₹224 crore had been allocated for completing work on the 107 school buildings, he said.