State bringing in radical transformation in school education to prepare students for future: Jagan

Concluding the short discussion on education in the Legislative Assembly here on Friday, the Chief Minister listed out various initiatives taken up by the government in the last two-and-a-half years in the education - sector. The Chief Minister said the state government has come up with 'Right to English Medium Education' for the bright future of the students and added that 96% of parents' committees voted in favour of English-medium education.

Improving teaching methods

He said the schools were categorized into six types as part of academic and administrative reforms - satellite foundational school (PP1 & PP2), foundational school (PP1, PP2, Class 1 & 2), foundational school plus (PP1, PP2, Classes 1 to 5), pre-high school (Classes 3 to 7/8), high school (Classes 3 to 10) and high school plus (Classes 3 to 12). He said the government is planning subject-wise teachers from class 3, limiting one teacher to 20 students in classes 1 and 2, implementing CBSE syllabus, and other activities to enhance the efficiency of teaching.

Schemes for student welfare

Jagan said the government has spent Rs. 13,023 crore so far that benefit 44.50 lakh mothers thereby benefiting 85 lakh children under the Amma Vodi scheme. He added that the government has taken a decision to implement mandatory attendance of 75% to get the benefits of Amma Vodi for this year.

He said the government has also come up with a proposal to offer laptops under this scheme for students of classes IX to XII. The state government has been spending Rs. 1,600 crore annually for the effective implementation of the Jagananna Gorumudda Scheme, Jagan said and added that the programme is being monitored in real-time through a mobile application called Integrated MDM Monitoring System (IMMS) and officials are personally checking the quality of food regularly.

The CM said the state has provided a kit consisting of three pairs of uniforms, a pair of shoes and two pairs of socks, bilingual textbooks, notebooks, workbooks, and masks under Jagananna Vidya Kanuka and added that the government has spent Rs. 1,437 crore under this scheme. Giving credit to the reforms and welfare schemes, the Chief Minister said the enrollment in both government and private schools has increased to 72,27,000 students at present compared to 70,43,000 in 2018-19 and added that enrolment in government schools increased to 44,39,000 students compared to 37,21,000 students in 2018-19 while student enrollment decreased from 31,14,000 in 2018-19 to 26,25,000 students at present.

The Chief Minister said the state government has been strengthening 57,189 schools and 3,280 other educational institutions under Manabadi Nadu-Nedu with an estimated cost of Rs. 1,6021.67 crore which includes an allocation of Rs. 3,669 crore to 15, 715 schools already covered under Nadu Nedu phase-I. He said the state government has also constituted School Education Regulatory and Monitory Commission to take measures to set the standards of the educational institutes. He said the government has set up the Toilet Maintenance Fund (TMF) for maintaining the cleanliness of the toilets.

Jagan said the government has been providing full fee reimbursement to all eligible students pursuing higher education under the Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme and has spent Rs. 5,573 crore so far. He added that under the scheme, hostel and mess charges are being provided to the students, and Rs. 2,270 crore has been spent on this scheme so far.

Aided schools

Referring to aided schools, the Chief Minister said the intent of the government is to do good for the management, teachers, and students of aided institutions and to shape them into better places of learning. They are free to accept the government offer to improve the conditions prevailing in the institutions, he said and listed out the four options given by the state government.

The first option is to voluntarily surrender the entire institution along with assets and the existing staff which will make the institutions government educational institutions without any liabilities and financial burden on the exchequer. The second option is the willingness to voluntarily surrender the aid in the form of surrendering all the duly sanctioned aided posts along with aided staff, but not the assets, which will make the institutions private unaided educational institutions. The third option is to exist as a private aided educational institution as per the existing rules, regulations, and grant-in-aid code. The fourth option is withdrawing the willingness given earlier to either Option 1 or Option 2 and thereby to take back the surrendered staff and run the institution as a private aided educational institution as per the existing rules, regulations, grant-in-aid code.