Amid COVID pandemic, Kerala CM inaugurates online reopening of schools for academic year 2021-22

PTI, Jun 1, 2021, 3:17 PM IST

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday inaugurated the virtual reopening of the academic session in public schools across the state and urged the students to move forward together to create a new world. Vijayan, whileinaugurating the Praveshanolsavam” (reception accorded to students who join schools) through an online function for the academic year 2021-22, expressed hope that the time is not far when students will come to schools.

Digital classes for classes from 1-9 began today through KITE-Victers channel through its First Bell portal. “The time is not far when students will go to schools wearing new clothes and carrying their schoolbags. Even though students are studying from home due to the pandemic situation, we can jointly move forward to create a new world,” Vijayan said.

The Chief Minister said the Kerala model of digital education during the COVID-19 pandemic is a successful one worth emulating. Education Minister V Sivankuttty, ministers Antony Raju, G R Anil and others participated in the function. Due to the pandemic, this is the second time the Praveshanolsavam was held virtually.

During the function, which was telecast through KITE-Victers channel, film actors Mammootty, Mohanlal, Prithviraj, Suraj Venjaramoodu, poets Sachithanandan, Sreekumaran Thambi, Olympian P T Usha and others wished the students. Muralee Thummarukudy, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction in the UN Environment Programme, Magician Gopinath Muthukad and Piush Antony, social policy advisor with UNICEF, interacted with the students. The education department said around 45 lakh students took part in the praveshanolsavam. Classes from 10 to 12 will reopen on June 7. Sivankutty said free handloom uniforms and textbooks for Class I-4 students were distributed.