Kerala Launches 'Malayalashree' Project to Introduce Malayalam in Oriental School

Kerala Launches 'Malayalashree' Project to Introduce Malayalam in Oriental Schools

The Kerala government has officially launched the 'Malayalashree' project, a new initiative aimed at providing students of oriental schools the opportunity to learn Malayalam as their mother tongue, alongside their existing studies in Sanskrit and Arabic.

The project was inaugurated by Minister for General Education and Labour, V. Sivankutty, who emphasized that denying children the right to learn their mother tongue is akin to distancing them from their culture and land. He added that the government is correcting this longstanding injustice through the initiative.

Background and Implementation

Though the Malayalashree project received government approval in 2011, it had not been fully implemented until now. The present administration has prioritized its execution, demonstrating a commitment to language preservation and cultural education.

Under this initiative:

• Students from 38 oriental schools across nine districts in Kerala will be able to study Malayalam.

• The syllabus has been prepared by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), based on equivalency textbooks from the Literacy Mission.

Public Examinations and Student Participation

The first public examinations under the Malayalashree project will be held during the current academic year:

• Class 7 examinations will be conducted by the Literacy Mission.

• Class 10 examinations will be conducted by the Pareeksha Bhavan.

An estimated 2,105 students in Class 7 and 2,445 students in Class 10 are expected to appear for the examinations.

Oriental Schools and Language Education

Oriental schools in Kerala are state-run or aided institutions that traditionally focus on learning Sanskrit, Arabic, and related subjects. With the launch of Malayalashree, students will now have the opportunity to connect more deeply with their mother tongue and regional culture, strengthening literacy and language skills across multiple disciplines.