Thiruvananthapuram: Pre-primary education in the State will now be for three years instead of two. This change aligns with the State government’s decision to raise the minimum age for Class 1 admission to six years from 2026. Currently, children joining pre-primary school at the age of three enter Class 1 at five, but with the new rule, they will have to complete an additional year of study. However, the entry age for pre-primary education will remain at three years from 2026.

The SCERT will develop the curriculum for the extended three-year pre-primary education. The government has also issued an order stating that steps will be taken to unify pre-school education to improve quality. Additionally, guidelines for granting permission and setting standards for pre-schools are being prepared, particularly in response to complaints regarding private pre-primary schools.

SCERT Director Dr R K Jayaprakash stated that the new curriculum will clearly outline the skills children should acquire over the three-year period. Currently, public pre-primary schools follow the Kalithoni textbook, developed based on the 2013 curriculum.

Remuneration to pre-primary staff

Government honorariums are provided only to pre-primary staff appointed before August 2012 and their direct successors in government schools. This includes 2,851 teachers and 1,961 ayahs. However, around 5,000 staff members appointed after 2012 and over 10,000 employees in aided school pre-primary sections receive only meagre salaries from Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs). The government has appealed against the High Court order directing it to increase honorariums retroactively from 2012.

Adding to the challenges, the second and third volumes of the Kalithoni textbook have not been delivered in most districts this academic year.