The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Class X equivalent course likely in Gulf

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Kerala - Kochi

Class X equivalent course likely in Gulf

Staff Reporter

First batch of ‘A’ level course felicitated

Plan for equivalent programmes in Class IV, VII and X
VS to head panel for primary education

KOCHI: Education Minister M.A. Baby has said that the government is planning to introduce the Class X equivalent ‘A’ level course offered jointly by the Directorate of Public Instruction and Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority in the Gulf and other countries.

Felicitating the first batch of the course at the Town Hall here on Friday, Mr. Baby said that the government would support a programme to popularise such equivalent programmes in Class IV, VII, and X.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan will head the committee that will suggest proposals for ensuring primary education for all in the State. The Minister hoped that this programme would help achieve the target of 10th pass for all Keralites irrespective of age, he said.

UNESCO norms

He said that a State, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, is accepted as fully literate if 90 per cent of the population could achieve literacy. But we should try to attain the 100 per cent mark, Mr. Baby said.

Those who passed the Class X equivalent ‘A’ level course were in the age group of 18 to 70 years. Of the 1,693 persons of the first batch who appeared for the examinations introduced last year, 1,089 had passed. Malappuram and Kozhikode districts had the most number of students.

Youngest and oldest

Suhrabeevi, 21, from Thrissur topped with 506 marks. Achankunju, 69, a social worker was the oldest among the students. He got 402 marks. Indu, 18, from Wayanad was the youngest among the candidates. In the SC/ST category, Kesavan from Wayanad topped with 338 marks. The Minister said that 553 students secured first class while 417 got second class.

About 12,710 persons under the second batch had completed the course and were awaiting examinations. About 20,000 persons were expected to enrol in the third batch, the admission for which is open till July 30.

Unique for Kerala

Kerala is the only State to provide an informal programme to pass Class X. Though the National Literacy Mission offers similar courses in other States, they are only up to Class VIII. Since the programme is valid as the SSLC, those who have passed out under the informal programme are eligible to pursue studies under the normal schooling system.

Sebastian Paul, MP, A.M. Yousuf and K. Babu, MLAs, Mercy Williams, Mayor, and P.S. Shyla, district panchayat president, spoke.

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