Kerala Launches 'Malayalashree' Project to Teach Malayalam in Oriental Schools

Kerala's General Education and Labour Minister V Sivankutty has formally launched the Malayalashree project, a significant initiative designed to address a long-standing educational gap. The programme enables students in oriental schools - government-run or aided institutions traditionally focused on Sanskrit and Arabic instruction - to study Malayalam as their mother tongue.

The minister emphasized that depriving children of their mother tongue alienates them from their cultural roots and homeland. Although the scheme received government approval in 2011, full implementation had been delayed until the present administration prioritized it.

The curriculum, developed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), draws on equivalency textbooks from the Literacy Mission. The project encompasses 38 oriental schools across nine Kerala districts, with approximately 2,105 Class 7 students and 2,445 Class 10 students expected to participate in public examinations during the current academic year. The Literacy Mission will oversee Class 7 exams, while Pareeksha Bhavan will administer Class 10 examinations.