Reforms initiated to overhaul and revitalise education sector in Andhra Pradesh wow experts

A delegation, comprising educators, civil servants, and NGOs, showers praise on the government for its initiatives, and resolves to recommend implementation of the same in their respective States

A section of the expert delegation at a meeting in Vijayawada on Saturday.

A delegation of educators, experts, civil servants and NGOs working in the field of education in various States visited Andhra Pradesh to study and understand the educational reforms being implemented in the education sector and showered praise on the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government for the series of initiatives launched to overhaul and revitalise the education system.

Their five-day visit to the State ended on Saturday.

The team visited the Kolavennu Mandal Parishad Primary School at Punadipadu, Edupugallu Zilla Parishad High School and Zilla Parishad Girls’ High School at Patamata in NTR and Krishna districts on Saturday, and interacted with officials of the Education Department.

S. Suresh Kumar, Commissioner, Department of School Education and State Project Director of Samagra Shiksha, explained about the schemes such as Amma Vodi, Mana Badi - Nadu-Nedu, Vidya Kanuka and ‘Gorumudda’.

Slew of schemes

He also explained to them about the new initiatives such as the school maintenance fund, the toilet maintenance fund, analysis about digital education, smart TVs, interactive flat panels in classrooms, distribution of tabs loaded with Byju’s content to students of Class 8 and teachers, proposal to implement CBSE syllabus in all government schools, establishment of an Atal Tinkering Labs’ Hub and Training Centre in the State, training being imparted to teachers, who in turn would teach English language skills to students, preparation of a six-levels foundational school curriculum based on the National Education Policy, and imparting training to teachers in premiere institutes such as IIM-A.

Impressed by the slew of measures for comprehensive development of the education sector, the delegates said they would recommend implementation of the same back home in their respective States.

The members of the delegation included Director of Forbes Marshall Limited Rathi Forbes; R.G. Manudhane Foundation Trustee and CEO and president of Airvine Scientific Vivek Raghavan; founder-trustee of Quest Nilesh Nimkar; founder of Vidyan Foundation Kavita Anand; CEO of Let’s Dream Foundation and former head of Social Innovation, CISCO-India and South Asia Murugan Vasudevan; Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) Project Officer, Nandurbar, Maharashtra, Minal Karanwal; Director of Act Grants Akanksha Gulati; Director at Michael Susan Dell Foundation, India, Prachi Vinlas; CEO of Indus Action Tarun Cherukuri; and Sneha Menon from Catalytic Philanthropy, Dasra.