Date:24/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/24/stories/2008072461780300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Minister to felicitate informal Class X students

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Education Minister M.A. Baby will inaugurate a function to felicitate the first batch that has passed the Class X ‘A’ level course under an informal continuous education programme of the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA) on Friday. Mayor Mercy Williams will preside over the function to be held at Ernakulam Town Hall at 10.30 a.m. People’s representatives from the district will attend, Ms. P.S. Shyla, Ernakulam district panchayat president said.

A seminar on the prospects of continuous education will be held as part of the function. Supriya, Director, Adult Education, Kerala University, and V.M. Shamsudeen, principal, Maharaja Institute of Technology, Thrissur, will present papers.

Those passed out were in the age group of 18 to 70 years, N. Jayadevan, director, KSLMA, said. Of the 1,693 persons of the first batch who appeared for the examinations of the Class X ‘A’ Level course that started in 2007, 1,089 passed. Malappuram and Kozhikode districts have the most number of students.

Suhrabeevi, a 21-year-old from Thrissur, secured the lone distinction. While 253 students secured first class, 417 passed out with a second class.

Mr. Jayadevan said 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.

Kerala was the only State providing an informal programme to pass Class X. Though the National Literacy Mission is offering similar courses in other States, they were only up to Class VIII.

Since the programme is as valid as the SSLC, those who have passed out under the informal programme are eligible to pursue their studies under the normal schooling system, Mr. Jayadevan said.

The participants of the programme will have to pay Rs. 1,200 as course fee and Rs. 500 as examination fees. Many local self-government bodies bear the fee of those belonging to the below poverty line class, while the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Department pays the fee for community members. The department paid close to Rs. 50 lakh on this account last year.

K.M. Kunjumon and Anil Kanjili, standing committee chairmen, district panchayat, K. Soman, additional director, KSLMA and P.M. Abdul Kareem, district coordinator, KSLMA, attended the press conference.