How Jaganmohan Reddy wants to revamp govt school education in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy wants a digital learning app to be developed for government school students to get their doubts cleared through an audio-video interface.

The CM has asked education department officials to expedite the makeover of 15,715 government schools by July end as schools are planned to be opened on August 3 in the state.

On Tuesday, the CM reviewed the progress of Mana Badi Nadu-Nedu (Our School – Then and Now) programme aimed at refurbishing the 44,512 government schools in the state with nine essentials like green chalk boards, water purifiers, modern benches, almirahs, fans, toilet conveniences on par with the facilities at corporate schools.

Despite the opposition criticism and legal hurdles, Reddy also intends to make English medium teaching mandatory in all the schools.

All schools to have running water, a compound wall, and an English lab. The plan is to cover all the state-run schools in three phases, in three years.

The state is at present procuring over five lakh benches for children, about 90,000 tables and chairs for teachers, 72,596 green chalk boards, 1.57 lakh ceiling fans, among other things at an estimated cost of Rs 890 crore.

Reddy examined the benches, water purifiers, cup boards, ceiling fans etc., brought to his camp office at Amaravati and asked officials not to compromise on quality.

The CM also directed officials to set up a toll-free number for the students and parents to register complaints to the government on the functioning or lack of amenities.

According to the officials, Reddy wants constant appraisal on performance of Class 6 to 10 students. “Such data on student's performance with detailed overview of strengths and weaknesses should be placed online for timely, corrective measures,” the CM opined while instructing that a proper student-teacher ratio be maintained in all schools.

Reddy stated that during the TDP government single teachers were allotted at 7,991 schools and “most of these schools were subsequently closed down.”

“Even school uniforms and books used to be provided in October or November. Such approach was to demoralize government schools and encourage the private sector. The government sector education has thus suffered much,” the Chief Minister said.