The Union Education Ministry will hold talks with the Union Finance Ministry regarding the approval of the second installment of the Central share for mid day meal plan for 2021-22. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that this issue will be resolved with the cooperation of the state finance department.
Kerala submitted a memorandum regarding centrally sponsored schemes to Mr Pradhan in New Delhi on Friday. General Education Minister V. Shivankutty, General Education Principal Secretary APM Mohd. Hanish, Director General Education Jeevan Babu K., Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) State Project Director Supriya AR, and MPs Elaram Karim, John Brittas and V. Sivadasan hosted Mr. Pradhan. discuss with.
The Union Minister responded positively to the issues raised in the memorandum. He promised steps to increase central assistance in the backdrop of student growth.
Shri Pradhan said that more talks would be needed to increase the central share regarding the honorarium of school lunch The Ministry of Education will write a letter to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution regarding the supply of best food grains for the mid-day meal scheme.
He said that the number of central scholarships in the state would be increased in proportion to the population.
Students who had taken admission in frontline health worker courses in vocational higher secondary schools in the academic year 2021 will be treated as a special case and will be in dialogue with the Union Health Ministry to ensure skill assessment and certification for them through the Health Sector Council. was done. , said Mr. Pradhan.
Support will be given to implement Vocational Training in the State as a model under the National Skill Qualification Framework.
As part of SSK, it will be envisaged to implement Skill Development Center of Higher Secondary Department at the block level on the lines of Hub-and-spoke model. It will be implemented as part of the STARS (Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States) project.
The STREAM (Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Arts and Mathematical-Based Instruction) project will be expanded to all districts as part of STARS. The stream is currently being implemented in 11 Block Resource Centers (BRCs) of Alappuzha district with an aim to enhance students’ aptitude for science and nurture young scientists. Mr Pradhan sought a proposal to expand the stream to all 168 BRCs in the state.
Discussions will be held with the state agencies before conducting the National Achievement Survey.