Tue Aug 05 14:08:32 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and news article rewrite of the provided text:
**Summary:**
Kerala’s Minister for Education, V. Sivankutty, announced the dates and locations for the upcoming 2026 State School Kalolsavam (arts festival) and the State School Sports Meet. The Kalolsavam will be held in Thrissur from January 7-11, 2026, accompanied by Sanskrit and Arabic literary festivals. The sports meet is slated for Thiruvananthapuram from October 22-27, 2025, with participation expected from students in West Asian schools following the Kerala syllabus. Additionally, the Teacher Training Institute (TTI) arts festival will be held in Wayanad, and the State special school festival in Malappuram. Plans are also underway to address the issue of dilapidated school buildings.
**News Article:**
**Kerala Announces Dates for 2026 State School Arts Festival and 2025 Sports Meet**
**MALAPPURAM, August 5, 2025** – Kerala’s Minister for Education, V. Sivankutty, unveiled the schedule for the highly anticipated 64th State School Kalolsavam (arts festival) and the State School Sports Meet. The Kalolsavam will transform Thrissur into a cultural hub from January 7-11, 2026, with 25 venues hosting the event. Concurrently, Sanskrit and Arabic literary festivals will be held. An organizing committee meeting is scheduled for August 12th at the Indoor Stadium in Thrissur.
“We are committed to providing a platform for our students to showcase their talents,” Minister Sivankutty stated. School-level arts festivals will be held in September, sub-district festivals in the second week of October, and district-level festivals in the first week of November.
The State School Sports Meet will take place in Thiruvananthapuram from October 22-27, 2025, envisioned as an Olympic-style event. An estimated 24,000 students are expected to participate, including those from schools in West Asia following the Kerala syllabus. Twenty venues will be used and district competitions will be completed by September. Celebrities will attend the closing ceremony and a torch rally from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram will promote the event.
In other education-related news, the arts festival for Teacher Training Institutes (TTI) and Pre-Primary Teacher Training Institutes (PPTTI) will be held in Wayanad on September 12th. The State special school festival will be held in Malappuram from November 6 to 8, 2025.
Minister Sivankutty also addressed concerns regarding the condition of school infrastructure, stating that an action plan is in development to demolish and rebuild dilapidated school buildings, following directives from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
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