Parents of schoolchildren in Kerala will soon receive handbooks and attend orientation programs focused on holistic child development, marking a pioneering effort by the state education department. These initiatives aim to help parents identify and address potential challenges their children may face.
Scheduled for an August release, the handbooks cover four stages of children’s mental, physical, and emotional growth. State Education Minister V. Sivankutty announced on Facebook that these resources are part of a broader curriculum reform program, marking a first-of-its-kind initiative in India.
Dr. Jayaprakash R.K., Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), highlighted that the handbooks are designed to keep parents informed about their children’s growth and developmental needs. He emphasized the role of expert contributions in enhancing parental awareness across various developmental stages.
SEE ALSO: What is Value in Child Development?
Each handbook is tailored for different educational levels—from pre-primary to higher secondary classes. For higher classes, the handbooks also cover critical topics such as cyber crimes, sexual abuse, drug addiction, screen addiction, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The initiative stems from a directive by the Kerala High Court to raise awareness about the POCSO Act among students. Dr. Jayaprakash emphasized that these stage-specific resources aim to empower parents to better understand and support their children’s holistic growth, addressing contemporary challenges like screen addiction and cyber crimes.
Experts from various fields, including psychiatrists, child psychologists, and educationists, contributed to the development of these handbooks. Post-release, schools will conduct orientation sessions during parent-teacher meetings to familiarize parents with the handbooks’ content and its implications for their children’s education and well-being.
Additionally, the handbooks for higher classes include career guidance aimed at helping parents align their children’s educational choices with their skills and aspirations, reducing instances of career decisions driven solely by parental expectations.
The initiative has garnered positive feedback from educators and academics like M.N. Karassery, emphasizing the importance of improved parent-teacher interactions in addressing contemporary societal challenges such as mobile phone addiction among children.
Overall, the introduction of these handbooks represents a significant step towards equipping parents with the knowledge and resources needed to navigate the complexities of their children’s development in today’s world.