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Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty announced on Saturday that the Class 10 syllabus will be reduced by 25 per cent starting next academic year. The move comes as a response to students’ concerns over the heavy academic load, aiming to make learning more manageable without altering the core content of textbooks. 

The announcement was made during a special ceremony where the minister handed over the keys of a newly constructed house to the family of Mithun, a student who tragically died after an electrocution accident at Thevalakkara Boys High School last year.  

Reducing Academic Pressure 

Addressing students at the event, Sivankutty highlighted the growing complaints about the extensive syllabus. “In next year’s school textbooks, 25 per cent of the syllabus will be reduced from what exists in the current books. The curriculum committee has already approved the decision,” he said. He also clarified that the content of the textbooks will remain unchanged, ensuring that educational quality is maintained while reducing students’ workload. 

The syllabus reduction is part of Kerala’s broader effort to make education more student-friendly and responsive to their needs.  

Fulfilling Mithun’s Dream 

The key-handover ceremony for the new house, named ‘Mithun Bhavanam’, was jointly conducted by Sivankutty and Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal. Mithun had dreamed of a proper home for his family and had even drawn his vision on the walls of their previous small dwelling. 

Sivankutty praised the Kerala State Bharat Scouts and Guides for constructing the 1,000-square-foot house at a cost of Rs 20 lakh within six months, without collecting any funds from students. “Today, that dream stands fulfilled with the completion of a new house, though the absence of the child continues to cause deep sorrow,” he wrote on Facebook. He called the initiative a humane and model intervention that demonstrates the power of community support in times of tragedy. 

Steps for Supporting Education 

In addition to the syllabus reduction, Sivankutty announced plans to prepare a teachers’ bank of retired school faculties, with procedures set to begin this year. The initiative aims to strengthen educational resources and provide additional support for students across the state.