
Education minister hosts young Afghan guests for breakfast, leaves all feeling fulfilled
'It was lovely to hear them speak Malayalam,' said the school's management committee chairman Suresh Kumar. The children, who are well-versed in English and Hindi as well, fare well in academics and extracurricular activities. The kids' class teachers and school PTA president Gopakumar R also joined them for the visit.
Shafiq and his wife Zarghona plan to enrol their youngest children, Maher, 5, and Mehnaz, 3, in the pre-primary section in the coming days. Their eldest son was unable to make it due to health issues. 'This is a land of no complaints,' Shafiq said when asked about his family's equation with Kerala. But with Shafiq's research studies getting over this year, the family may return to their homeland.
'Leaving Kerala might not be something they are looking forward to,' said Suresh, mentioning the friendships that the siblings have built up here.
Truly, home is where the heart is!

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Govt. aided schools fail to sustain results in higher classes: survey
State government and aided schools scored more than private and Central government schools in Class III, but could not sustain the lead in higher classes, the results of the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan have shown. PARAKh Sarvekshan, earlier known as National Achievement Survey, assessed the performance of 46,737 Class III, VI, and IX students in 1,899 schools across the 14 districts in the State. In Class III, State government schools and aided schools scored 78% in Language, which was not only higher than the national average but also than that scored by private and Central government schools (71%). In Mathematics too, the pattern was repeated with government and aided schools scoring 74% while private and Central government schools students scored 63% and 62%, respectively. By Class VI, Central government schools had turned the tables. They had the highest score of 80% in Language, with private schools scoring 77%, aided schools close behind at 76%, and government schools at 75%. In Mathematics too, Central government schools topped with a score of 66%, with the other three management types tied at 59%. In Class IX too, Central government schools performed better. In Language, they scored 82%, just slightly ahead of private schools with 81%. Government and aided schools were tied at 69%. In Mathematics, Central government schools with 52% did much better than private schools that scored 46%. Aided institutions were next with 43% and government schools scored 42%. Education officials said students currently in Class VI in State government and aided schools were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, unlike students in Class III now. Class IX students were also affected to an extent, but their results had to be studied in detail. The result pattern in the State was similar to the all-India trend, they said. While girls in the State did better than boys across all three grades, students from rural schools did better than those in urban schools in Class III, scoring 76% and 75%, respectively, in Language and 71% and 68% in Mathematics. The situation changed by Class VI when urban students edged out rural students by 2 percentage points in Language, Mathematics, and 'The World Around Us.' In Class IX, urban students maintained the advantage on rural students, scoring 1 percentage point more in Mathematics, 2 percentage points more in Science and Social Science, and 4 percentage points more in Language.


Hans India
11 hours ago
- Hans India
Pawan's vision fuels India's first ‘Smart Central Kitchen' in Kadapa
Kadapa: YSR Kadapa district launched India's inaugural Smart Central Kitchen as part of the revamped Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal Scheme. The facility, set up at the municipal high School in Kadapa city, was made possible with personal support from Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan and the leadership of district collector Dr Cherukuri Sridhar. This state-of-the-art kitchen is designed to serve nearly 2,200 students across 12 government schools with meals that are nutritious, hygienic, and tasty. The facility boasts hotel-grade infrastructure, automated cooking systems, dedicated spaces for vegetable cutting and grinding, proper storage, and waste management. A mobile app has been introduced to monitor both kitchen operations and food delivery, while the kitchen itself runs on methane gas generated from food waste. Dr Sridhar highlighted that the kitchen was built without putting extra strain on the state budget. 'This is part of our long-term vision to improve nutrition for school children across the district. Within the next six months, we plan to replicate this model in all mandals,' he said. Solar power units generating 3 kW have been installed at each kitchen, with round-the-clock monitoring through CCTV and a centralized control system. On July 24 and 25, four to five more Smart Kitchens will be launched in CK Dinne and Jammalamadugu mandals to ensure that all schools in these areas are covered, the Collector said. The idea for this transformation was sparked when Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan visited Kadapa during the first Mega Parents-Teachers Meeting in 2024. Disturbed by the outdated, firewood-based cooking methods in schools, he personally donated Rs 10 lakh to modernise the system. The construction of the smart kitchen was completed in time for the new academic year. Students have been quick to appreciate the change. 'The food is tastier than what we get at home,' said Kavya Sri, a Class 7 student. Class 8 student Shaik Mahir added, 'Now we eat to our heart's content with good quality rice and nutritious items like eggs, ragi malt, and sweet pongal.' Teachers have also praised the upgrade. Ruth Mary, an English teacher, said the meals now feel like a 'wedding feast,' noting that all students are now choosing to eat at school thanks to the improved quality and variety. Education Minister Nara Lokesh, who is leading reforms in school education, has directed officials to expand the smart kitchen model across the state. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is also said to be closely watching these developments, which are part of broader efforts to strengthen public schools and ensure quality education and nutrition for every student.


New Indian Express
11 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Education minister hosts young Afghan guests for breakfast, leaves all feeling fulfilled
'We have students from other states and countries in Kerala, which could be one of the reasons why the state holds the second position in education,' the minister said, referring to the National Achievement Survey, where the state is ranked below Punjab by a point on the indicator. 'It was lovely to hear them speak Malayalam,' said the school's management committee chairman Suresh Kumar. The children, who are well-versed in English and Hindi as well, fare well in academics and extracurricular activities. The kids' class teachers and school PTA president Gopakumar R also joined them for the visit. Shafiq and his wife Zarghona plan to enrol their youngest children, Maher, 5, and Mehnaz, 3, in the pre-primary section in the coming days. Their eldest son was unable to make it due to health issues. 'This is a land of no complaints,' Shafiq said when asked about his family's equation with Kerala. But with Shafiq's research studies getting over this year, the family may return to their homeland. 'Leaving Kerala might not be something they are looking forward to,' said Suresh, mentioning the friendships that the siblings have built up here. Truly, home is where the heart is!