Kerala govt to publish diary writings of first grade students

Thiruvananthapuram | "I saw a yellow bird sitting atop a tamarind tree in the courtyard of the neighbouring house..." wrote Arshik P M, a lower primary student, in his diary some time ago.

A native of Kozhikode, he also drew a tree and a bird with crayons below his diary entry.

Like Arshik, first grade students in government schools across Kerala have been maintaining diaries as instructed by their teachers, recollecting their fond memories.

These diary entries are now set to be published as a book.

The General Education Department has compiled select diary entries from students as part of its "collective diary writing" initiative included in the academic syllabus.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is scheduled to release the book, which will feature children's hand-written diary entries, on April 23 here, General Education Department sources said.

Titled "Kurunnezhuthukal", the unique book is edited by General Education Minister V Sivankutty who has already posted some of the diary entries of children on his social media handle.

It may be for the first in the country that an Education Minister himself is set to don the editor's hat to publish a book featuring diary notes of children.

The book will showcase the thoughts and creativity of writers in grade one, along with responses from their parents and teachers.

"Our educational system and the public society should realise their excellence and foster their abilities. Its continuity should be ensured and extended further."

"The diary writings of first standard students have been collected from public schools across the state and compiled in the form of a book as an initial step to achieve this objective," the minister said in his editor's note in the book.

Sivankutty emphasised that the creativity and thinking abilities of the younger generation along with their skills to express themselves are reflected in the diary writings of these children.

"Let our children read and write. Let them view classrooms as spaces of love, acceptance and encouragement," he added.

CPI (M) General Secretary and former Education and Cultural Affairs Minister M A Baby, in the preface of the book, said "Kurunnezhuthukal" can instill confidence among children to approach the possibilities of language studies in a creative way.

The 96-page book also has select write-ups of class one teachers of various government schools across the state.