Over 40 lakh students return to schools in Kerala after two-month-long summer vacation
Though Kerala had experienced heavy rain situations in the majority of districts in the previous week due to the onset of the southwest monsoon, the State generally experienced comparatively good weather on Monday morning.
Students being welcomed on the first day of the new academic year at Moyans LP School in Palakkad on Monday.
📹 K.K. mustafah pic.twitter.com/Bq9SOhum2t — The Hindu - Kerala (@THKerala) June 2, 2025
Schools in cities and villages alike witnessed a rush of enthusiastic children returning with new books, bags and uniforms marking their new academic year.
Teachers decorated their respective schools with festoons, balloons and coconut leaves to give a grand welcome to the wards.
In many educational institutions, school authorities and parent-teacher associations organised live beating of drums and percussion to welcome newcomers.
According to figures, over 2 lakh children joined Class 1 across Kerala in government and aided sectors. The exact figures would be available only later, official sources said.
Praveshanotsavam
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Praveshanotsavam 2026-26, the formal reopening of the school, by lighting a traditional lamp in a function held in a State-run higher secondary school in Alappuzha.
In the culturally rich event, the Chief Minister also launched the State-level distribution of study materials.
During his address, Mr. Vijayan said children should be able to imbibe wisdom and discernment beyond knowledge through education.
"We should approach everything with critical intelligence. Secular thinking and democratic consciousness should be instilled in the minds of children. That should be the objective of education," he said.
Besides children, teachers should also be ready to be updated themselves with fresh knowledge and inputs, he said.
All schools should carry out a coordinated effort to create an atmosphere of curiosity and inquisitiveness to allay the fears and concerns of students, he added.
Mr. Vijayan also detailed the comprehensive changes being implemented by the State government during the new academic year.
Besides Mr. Vijayan, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty and Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian and other people's representatives were also present during the function.
The State government introduced several new changes, including time changes for high schools and value-based education in the new academic year.
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