By TCN News,
Kozhikode: Attempting to improve the educational and living status of the students belonging to Scheduled Castes, a three-year project has been started by the Centre for Research and Education for Social Transformation (CREST) in Kerala.
The project is aimed at providing financial assistance to the ST students studying in Model Residential Schools (MRS) in the state. The project is funded by the Ministry for Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes and supported by the Education Department.
MRS were designed by the state government to provide quality education for children belonging to SC/ST and those below poverty line families. Vinod Krishnan, CREST Associate Programme coordinator, said schools at nine places were selected for the implementation of the scheme.
The scheme envisages personality development classes and extra classes, meant to boost the learning ability of these students. The officials have planned week-long workshops for school teachers to ensure the smooth implementation of the scheme.
Selected schools are at Punnapra (Alappuzha), Peermade (Idukki), Keezhmad, Aluva (Ernakulam), Vadakkanchery and Chelakkara (both in Thrissur), Thrithala and Kuzhalmannam (both in Palakkad), Ullyeri (Kozhikode) and Udinoor (Kasargod).
As per the scheme, eminent scholars and academics from across the state will get involved in the scheme through interaction and workshops. Vinod Krishnan added that the scheme will turn productive as it can creatively motivate the ST students.
The government has decided to disseminate the scheme to more schools in coming years.