Thiruvananthapuram: The Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Manacaud, has begun a Montessori pre -school for the first time in the government sector. Its official launch will be held on June 1, school reopening day.

Ms Jottila Joyce, principal, told Deccan Chronicle that the vocational higher secondary section of the school already had a course in nursery and pre-school management. The new Montessori pre-school was being introduced to provide practical sessions for the students.

The school which has a nursery section is also planning to start ayyah training. "For this, we will submit a proposal to the government for its approval," Ms Joyce said.

The school is one of the two vocational higher secondary schools in the state that offer nursery and pre-school management as a vocational subject. The decision to start a Montessori pre -school will be welcomed by the parents as physical harassment in nursery schools has been reported from various parts of the state. Many pre-schools do not have even proper licences, Ms Joyce said.

The school also housed government teacher training institute on its campus apart from an LP school, UP school and high school.

The police had the other day arrested the owner of a playschool and day care centre at Palarivattom, Kochi, for harassing a one-and-a-half-year- old child. A case under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act was also registered.

Following the incident, Thiruvananthapuram Range IG Manoj Abraham ordered all day care centres in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts to install surveillance cameras in each room so that the parents can access the live footage on their mobile phones or laptops.

He also asked all the police stations under the range to ensure that IP cameras are installed in the day care centres in all the rooms accessed by kids.

The Karthika Thirunal Government VHSS for girls, started in 1942, is one of the oldest girls schools in the city. The first school run by the government for promoting education among girl children was earlier located near the Government Sanskrit College. Later, it was shifted and re-established as three separate schools - one at Barton Hill, another at Cotton Hill and the third at Manacaud. The Manacaud school was inaugurated on June 15, 1942 by the then Diwan of Travancore, C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer.