NELLORE: HRD, Electronics and IT Minister Nara Lokesh stressed the role of value-based education and announced the introduction of green passports to instil environmental awareness among children and offered to personally sponsor the education of two underprivileged children.
On Monday, he, along with Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister Dr Ponguru Narayana and TDP MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, inaugurated the renovated and modernised VR Municipal Corporation High School in Nellore.
After the inauguration, Lokesh went around the upgraded school facilities, including digital classrooms, a robotics lab, a hydroponics lab, computer labs, and a spacious play area equipped with modern amenities.
Speaking to students and parents, Lokesh praised the transformation of the 150-year-old institution into a model campus from a state of neglect under the leadership of Minister Narayana. He commended the NCC unit and appreciated Narayana’s daughter, Sharani, for her contribution to the development. He expressed satisfaction at the visible signs of progress in government schools, such as full admissions and improved infrastructure, affirming that the government has set up 9,600 such schools with a goal of assigning one teacher per class.
The HRD minister highlighted the value-based education, citing moral literature by Chaganti Koteswara Rao in school curricula. He called two underprivileged students, Penchalayya and Venkateswarlu, on stage and personally offered to sponsor their education after they requested admission.
On the occasion, MAUD Minister Narayana recalled his academic journey at VR High School, where he studied from class 6 to degree and even served as a teacher. He criticised the previous YSRCP government for destabilising the State’s education system and shutting down the school.
Reinstating the institution as part of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s P4 initiative, Narayana lauded NCC head Raju and the minister’s daughter, Sharani, for their efforts in the school’s revival. Narayana emphasised that he decided to reopen the school when he visited 84,000 homes in Nellore and understood the plight of the poor.
Law and Minority Welfare Minister NMD Farooq praised Narayana’s noble vision to serve his motherland through education and thanked Lokesh for supporting the transformation. He mentioned Lokesh’s efforts regarding the Mega DSC recruitment to fill over 16,000 teacher posts.
Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy called VR High School’s revival part of the broader reforms Lokesh introduced in education. He highlighted his family’s decades-long role in the school’s management and criticised the previous government for distancing the poor and middle class from education.
Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy appreciated Lokesh’s strategic implementation of the LEAP (Learn Excellence of Andhra Pradesh) programme and his commitment to enhancing academic standards. He called on parents to seize such opportunities and support their children’s growth. Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy called the reopening of VR Municipal High School a remarkable event in the city’s history. As an alumnus himself, he expressed deep emotion and urged Ministers Lokesh and Narayana to similarly revamp VR College.