VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to enhance co-curricular engagement, HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh has directed education officials to initiate steps to implement ‘No-Bag Saturdays’ in schools across the State. Chairing a review meeting on Tuesday with officials from School and Intermediate Education, Lokesh stressed the need for holistic development of students.
The minister instructed officials to seek input from teachers and associations before proposing the withdrawal of GO 117 regarding merger of schools, which was reportedly introduced inadvertently by the previous YSRCP government. Feedback collected by the School Education Director under the supervision of district collectors was also presented during the meeting.
Lokesh discussed strategies to curb student dropouts and reviewed plans for a new Teacher Transfer Act. He urged the creation of a unified app for teachers to replace multiple existing platforms, promoting technological solutions to improve teaching and learning outcomes. Officials were directed to expedite the integration of Apar IDs to determine the student count and prepare an AP Model of Education for public consultation. Reforms in the Intermediate Education Department were also reviewed.
School Education Secretary Collector Kona Sasidhar, Director V Vijay Ramaraju and other key officials were present.