Thiruvananthapuram: In a move to enhance students' language proficiency and communication skills, the Kerala government has made daily newspaper reading mandatory in classrooms. According to government sources, the directive forms part of a broader academic master plan aimed at ensuring quality education, with a special focus on improving learning in the mother tongue.

The initiative also includes a push to develop digital literacy in Malayalam, with students being trained to type the language using computers. This year has been declared the Year of Academic Quality, and every school is expected to create its own master plan and calendar of programmes in line with this theme.

In Lower Primary (LP) and Upper Primary (UP) classes, students will be evaluated on core skills such as reading, writing, recitation, and creative writing. The guidelines also call for developing high proficiency not only in Malayalam but also in English and Hindi, emphasising multilingual competence.

Education Minister V Sivankutty had recently announced that students would be awarded ten grace marks for participation in newspaper reading activities.

Suggested activities for reading practice:

  • Daily group newspaper reading and discussion in classrooms
  • Encouraging students to read aloud with clear pronunciation
  • Promoting the use of school library weeklies and magazines
  • Motivating children to read at least one book per week

Follow-up activities include preparing notes, presenting them to peers, expressing ideas based on reading themes, and participating in group discussions.