State Council of Educational Research and Training, Kerala

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT),[1] Kerala is a board of school education in India, conducted by the government of the state of Kerala, India. The board prepares the syllabus for schools affiliated with it. Their main academic focus is on medical care, engineering and telemarketing.

Kerala is the first state in India to achieve 100% in primary education.

The structure is divided into kindergarten (Lkg and UKG), LP (lower primary, classes/standard 1–4), UP (upper primary, classes/standard 5–7), (H.S) High School(classes/standard 8–10) and Higher Secondary (+1 equals 11th class/standard and +2 equals 12th class/standard). Usually, the whole system of KG, LP, UP and HS are collectively referred as High School. Students completing this complete course (12 years including KGs, which is optional* and otherwise 10 years of education) will be awarded with School Leaving Certificate, abbreviated as SSLC. Based on the results in SSLC, students are enrolled into Higher Secondary Education (HSE) which was previously known as pre-degree and was conducted in colleges. Now, HSE is integrated to the school system and most educational institutions now offer classes from LKG to +2. Higher secondary offers a wide range of subjects according to the candidate's preference. After completing +2, students are awarded with a HSE certificate which is a passport to degree and similar courses.

History

The importance and antiquity of education in Kerala is underscored by the state's ranking as among the most literate in the country. The local dynastic precursors of modern-day Kerala made significant contributions to the progress on education in Kerala. There were many sabha mathams that imparted Vedic knowledge. Apart from kalaris, which taught martial arts, there were village schools run by Ezhuthachans or Asans. The history of western education in Kerala can be traced to Christian missionaries who set up a number of schools and colleges. These institutions played significant roles in shaping the course of education in Kerala.

Kerala's achievements in social development and quality of life have improved over time. Kerala has achieved a human development index (HDI) comparable to developed countries. Prof. Amartya Sen has attributed these achievements largely to the priority of high literacy among all Indian states and education.

Modern Education in Kerala started several decades back with the declaration of the Maharaja of Travancore in 1844 that "those trained in English School would be given preference in Public Services". Raja's Free School was established by government in 1834 to provide English education. In the erstwhile, Cochin State 33 Vernacular schools were established in 1818. English education was taken care of by Rev. Dawson, the English school in Mattancherry in 1818. Over time, more English Schools opened in Thrissur, Thrippunithura and Ernakulam. In 1868, the first batch was presented for the Matriculation examination.

The local dynastic precursors of modern-day Kerala sponsored sabha mathams that imparted Vedic knowledge. Apart from kalaris, which taught martial arts, there were village schools run by Ezhuthachans or Asans.

The Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics was a school founded by Madhava of Sangamagrama in Kerala, South India, which included among its members: Parameshvara, Neelakanta Somayaji, Jyeshtadeva, Achyuta Pisharati, Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri and Achyuta Panikkar. The school flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries and the original discoveries of the school seems to have ended with Bhattathiri. In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently created a number of important mathematics concepts. Their most important results-series expansion for trigonometric functions-were described in a Sanskrit verse in a book by Somayaji called Tantrasangraha, and again in a commentary called Tantrasangraha-vakhya, of unknown authorship. The theorems were stated without proof, but proofs for the series for sine, cosine, and inverse tangent were provided a century later in the work Yuktibhasa (c.1500-c.1610), written in Malayalam, by Jyesthadeva, and also in a commentary on Tantrasangraha. Their work, completed two centuries before the invention of calculus in Europe, provided what is now considered the first example of a power series (apart from geometric series). However, they did not formulate a systematic theory of differentiation and integration, nor is there any direct evidence of their results being transmitted outside Kerala.

Today

Schools and colleges are now largely run by the government, private trusts, or individuals. Each school is affiliated with either the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), or the Kerala State Education Board. English is the language of instruction in most private schools, while government run schools offer English or Malayalam as the medium of instruction. After 10 years of secondary schooling, students typically enroll at Higher Secondary School in one of the three streams-liberal arts, business or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students can enroll in general or professional degree programmes. Kerala topped the Education Development Index (EDI) among 21 major states in India in 2006–2007. EDI is calculated using indicators such as access, infrastructure, teachers and outcome.

Thirunanthapuram, one of the state's major academic hubs, hosts the University of Kerala and several professional education colleges, including 15 engineering colleges, three medical colleges, three Ayurveda colleges, two colleges of homeopathy, six other medical colleges, and several law colleges. Trivandrum Medical College, Kerala's premier health institute is being upgraded to the status of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The College of Engineering in Trivandrum is one of the prominent engineering institutions in the state. The Asian School of Business and IIITM-K are two of the other premier management study institutions in the city, both situated inside Technopark. The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, first of its kind in India, is situated in the state capital.

Kochi is another major educational hub. The Cochin University of Science and Technology, also known as "Cochin University", is situated in a suburb of the city. Most of the city's colleges offering tertiary education are affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University.

Other national educational institutes in Kochi suburb include the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training, National University of Advanced Legal Studies, National Institute of Oceanography, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, and Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. The only College of Fisheries in the State is situated at Panangad, a suburban area of the city. The College comes under the Kerala Agricultural University.

The district of Thrissur holds some premier institutions in Kerala. Kerala Agricultural University is located in Thrissur. The Thrissur Medical College, The Government Engineering College, Govt. Law College, Ayurveda College, Govt. Fine Arts College, College of Co-operation & Banking and Management, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, College of Horticulture, College of Forestry, etc. are situated in Thrissur. Thrissur is also a main center of coaching for the entrance examinations for engineering and medicine.

Kottayam also acts as a main educational hub. According to the 1991 census, Kottayam District of Kerala is the first district to achieve full literacy rate in the whole of India. Mahatma Gandhi University, CMS College (the first institution to start English education in Southern India), Medical College, and the Labour India Educational Research Center are also located in Kottayam .

Kozhikode is home to two of the premier educational institutions in the country; the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, one of the seven Indian Institutes of Management, and the premier National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut Medical College, the second medical college in Kerala is affiliated with the University of Calicut and serves 2/5 of the population of Kerala. Government Law College, situated in outskirts of Kozhikode, is owned by the Government of Kerala and caters to the needs of the north Malabar region of Kerala. Pothanicad, a village in the Ernakulam district, is the first panchayath in India that achieved 100% literacy.[2]

References
  1. "SCERT - The State Council Educational Research and Training". www.scert.kerala.gov.in. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  2. Kerala plus two result 2017
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