VIJAYAWADA: Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh has directed officials to focus on improving student attendance and learning outcomes in government schools during the current academic year.
Chairing a review meeting on school education at his residence in Undavalli on Thursday, Lokesh reviewed various initiatives aimed at strengthening the education sector and enhancing the quality of learning in government schools.
Officials informed the Minister that more than 1.06 lakh students had enrolled in government schools this year after migrating from private institutions. They attributed the rise in admissions to the education reforms introduced by the coalition government over the past year.
According to officials, the State has 7,620 upper primary schools, of which 3,515 (46.13 per cent) have reached their optimum student capacity. They also reported that 159 schools had been transformed into Model Primary Schools during the current academic year.
Lokesh stressed the need to sustain the momentum by improving attendance and ensuring better academic outcomes among students. He directed officials to closely monitor school performance and strengthen learning standards across the State.
The review meeting also discussed concerns regarding the high fees charged by private schools. The Minister instructed officials to examine fee regulation mechanisms being implemented in other States and explore suitable policy options for Andhra Pradesh. Officials informed the Minister about proposals to regulate excessive fee structures while ensuring quality education and accountability in the private education sector.
As part of efforts to integrate technology into classrooms, officials informed the Minister that an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tutor programme would be launched as a pre-pilot project from September 5 in 175 LEAP schools across the State.
Under the first phase, students of Classes IX and X will receive AI-assisted support in Mathematics and Science. The initiative aims to improve conceptual understanding and learning outcomes through personalised digital learning tools.
Lokesh suggested that the AI Tutor platform should eventually be integrated with the proposed Clicker technology system, enabling a more interactive and technology-driven learning environment in schools.