Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh announced that the state government is taking strong measures to enhance infrastructure in public schools. He emphasised that the administration aims to make government schools competitive with private schools in terms of facilities and learning environment.
Star Ratings Reveal Critical Gaps
Minister Lokesh shared that since 2020, under the “Mana Badi – Naa Du-Nedu” and “Mana Badi – Mana Bhavishyathu” programs, the government allocated significant funds to develop schools. He directed officials to rate every school using 18 key infrastructure parameters. The ratings revealed a stark reality: 40% of schools scored below 2 stars, indicating severe infrastructure gaps.
“Critical facilities are our top priority,” Lokesh said. During his visits to Chittoor district schools, he found several buildings were not leak-proof, lacked basic furniture, benches, proper painting, water supply, and toilets. “We will address these issues immediately to ensure every school meets minimum standards,” he added.
Tackling Pending Work and Teacher Shortages
The government is reviewing all pending development works to complete them efficiently. Under GO 117, the “Model Primary School” initiative introduced classroom-specific teachers, increasing coverage from 3% to 33% of schools. This expansion revealed the need for more classrooms, and the government is preparing accordingly.
Lokesh also noted that 233 schools developed under the previous Naa Du-Nedu scheme were unnecessarily closed. “We are focusing on effective fund use and ensuring development only where needed,” he said.
Clearing Past Pending Bills
Addressing concerns about unpaid bills from the previous government, Lokesh stated, “If the past administration had acted responsibly, pending bills would have been cleared earlier. Our coalition government has already settled Rs. 500 crore in pending payments.”
He criticised opposition parties for walking out during Assembly discussions. “Had they stayed, they would have understood the facts. Instead, they left without learning why learning outcomes dropped during their tenure,” he said.
Focus on Foundational Literacy and Learning Outcomes
The Minister highlighted alarming literacy statistics under the previous government:
84.3% of third-grade students
62.5% of fifth-grade students
47% of eighth-grade students
were unable to read second-grade textbooks. To reverse this trend, the government is implementing Guaranteed Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) using AI-powered tools.
“Additionally, we are upgrading classrooms, providing leak-proof buildings, benches, furniture, water, and toilets. Our goal is to make public schools fully competitive with private institutions,” Lokesh said.
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