Kerala School Turns Reading Into a Way of Life

A government school in Vithura, Kerala, is building a strong reading culture through book donations, monthly reviews, alumni support and parent-led reading initiatives.
on Jul 06, 2026

It is amidst the growing competition between mobiles and digitized entertainment that a school in the state of Kerala is creating an environment where reading is not confined to the confines of classrooms and exams alone.

The Government Vocational and Higher Secondary School, Vithura, in Thiruvananthapuram district, has undertaken various initiatives involving children and their families for fostering the habit of reading.

Replacing Birthday Presents With Books

The reading project of this school started in 2015 from the Student Police Cadets (SPC) section of the school. The concept of Book Cradle was introduced whereby instead of receiving birthday presents, the students were encouraged to gift books on their birthdays.

The new recruits of the SPC were expected to give one book when they joined the group. The library got more books over time with contributions from teachers, parents, alumni and well-wishers.

Reading and Reviewing Books Every Month Programme

In order to encourage the students to read books regularly, a new reading programme called Akshara Deepti was started by the school every month. The students read books in Malayalam and English languages and write a review of what they have read.

The best reviews are chosen every month, and students are rewarded with books, gifts, and cash prizes.

Alumni Contribute to the Sustainability of the Initiative

These prizes are awarded each month and all these activities revolve around the books provided by Ormakkoodu, which is the alumni organization of the 1981 SSLC class from this school. The alumni have been organizing prizes and donating books to the library for the last four years.

Former students, teachers and local well-wishers have contributed to the success of the reading initiative.

Reading Beyond Classrooms

This program has shown some promising results as well. Vineetha, a student who was chosen as the Best Student Reader from the school in 2025, kept reading even while preparing for her SSLC examination.

Mini S Vineetha, the mother of Vineetha, was chosen as the Best Parent Reader for having read more than 15 books.

Thus, by including the involvement of students, teachers, parents and alumni, the Vithura school has been able to create a good example of how books should not be used just as academic resources but also as a means of reading.