Kerala to slash class 10 syllabus by 25% from next academic year

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty on Saturday, made an announcement about the reduction of the Class 10 syllabus by 25 per cent starting from the next academic year. The decision is a result of students' concerns about the heavy academic load and thus the initiative is aimed at making learning more manageable without the core content of textbooks being altered. The minister made the announcement during a special function when he handed over the keys of a newly built house to the family of Mithun whose son was a student who died after an electrocution accident at Thevalakkara Boys High School last year.

He mentioned that the amount of work that students are required to do is disproportionate to the time that they have available. We have all witnessed how students have run out of time due to their heavy academic load. "That's why we at the government level have decided that up to 25% of the syllabus should be reduced in the new textbooks coming next year, " said the minister. He added that the textbooks content would not be changed, hence, educational standards will be safeguarded while students' workloads will be lightened.

Moreover, the Pupil Education Reform Movement in Kerala aims to take education closer to the needs of students and this is just one of the measures taken so far.

Fulfilling Mithun’s Dream 

The key-handover ceremony for the new house, named ‘Mithun Bhavanam’, was jointly conducted by Sivankutty and Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal. Mithun had dreamed of a proper home for his family and had even drawn his vision on the walls of their previous small dwelling. 

Sivankutty praised the Kerala State Bharat Scouts and Guides for constructing the 1,000-square-foot house at a cost of Rs 20 lakh within six months, without collecting any funds from students. “Today, that dream stands fulfilled with the completion of a new house, though the absence of the child continues to cause deep sorrow,” he wrote on Facebook. He called the initiative a humane and model intervention that demonstrates the power of community support in times of tragedy. 

Steps for Supporting Education 

In addition to the syllabus reduction, Sivankutty announced plans to prepare a teachers’ bank of retired school faculties, with procedures set to begin this year. The initiative aims to strengthen educational resources and provide additional support for students across the state.