SCERT brings out Gujarati textbooks for students

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the first time, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has come out with Gujarati textbooks for students. Till date, the two Gujarati schools in the state in-Ernakulam and Kozhikode- have been teaching textbooks brought out by the Gujarat Government. The students who have opted Gujarati as their mother tongue in classes VIII, IX and X would get the new textbooks from this academic year onwards, Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb said.  He was announcing the projects undertaken by SCERT this academic year in the state ata press meet here on Thursday. For students with Konkani as their mother tongue, the SCERT has brought out textbooks for class V. Learning materials to facilitate the learning of Arabic language in classes I and II are being prepared by C-DIT.  As part of implementing Right to Education Act and the teachers package, a 50-day-long intensive training would be given to all teachers in the state. The SCERT would complete the module preparation for the training by next week after which it would be discussed with the teachers’ organisations.   The first batch training for retrenched, protected, newly appointed teachers would begin on May 21. In the first phase, a 10-day training in personality development would be imparted.   As part of observing the Year of Mathematics, which falls this year, the government would start NuMATS project under SCERT. Students having maths skills would be identified in early classes and would be imparted continuous training for five years, enabling them to compete in examinations like Maths Olympiad. The Teachers Eligibility Test as instructed by the RTE would be held in the last week of June. The question papers would be prepared on the basis of norms put forward by NCTE. For appointment of teachers in DIETs too, the TET would be applicable.  For the first time, an interactive CD has been brought out to help English teachers in classes I and II to improve their language skills. SCERT director K A Hashim and SSA director K M Ramanandan were also present at the press conference.