A ‘happiness’ curriculum will be drafted to ease students into the learning environment once schools reopen on November 1. For the first couple of weeks, instead of direct lessons, focus will be on play, songs, and stories to make the back-to-school experience a joyful one for students.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Quality Improvement Programme (QIP) monitoring committee meeting that was chaired by Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty on Thursday. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has been entrusted with the preparation of the curriculum.
Senior students will be provided counselling. The Samagra Shiksha, Kerala, will provide academic excellence records, likely in the form of worksheets, to students for the portions completed till the Onam vacation in order to ascertain their minimum learning level, and on its basis further academic activities will be taken up. Victers channel classes will be reorganised.
Teachers will be provided online training on how to go about implementing the happiness curriculum.
New focus areas on the basis of classes telecast on Victers educational channel and the syllabus that remains to be taught will be prepared for classes 1 to 12. The focus areas this time will cover more portions than what the focus areas issued last year did.
Higher secondary students will reach schools in batches according to their stream, and will be seated in classrooms as per distance norms. Primary students will come in batches of 20 to 30. The meeting wanted schools be allowed to take decisions depending on their facilities while factoring in the broad guidelines and holding talks with local bodies, parent-teacher associations, school staff, and volunteers.
Classes will be held till noon initially. Uniforms and attendance will not be mandatory, especially for students with health problems. Sharing of food and water will be curbed, as also snacking from nearby shops or crowding there.
Samagra Shiksha grant for schools will be used for cleaning and sanitation in schools. Support of local bodies will be sought for plying of school buses. The academic calendar for the year will be rejigged. Teachers who have not received COVID-19 vaccination will be kept away from schools.
The guidelines for school reopening will be finalised by October 5.
