Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (File Photo |EPS)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (File Photo |EPS)

Jagan Mohan Reddy's Amma Vodi scheme ups school admissions   

HRD Minister Adimulapu Suresh says scheme was introduced to ensure education of every child in State irrespective of their financial status

VIJAYAWADA: Lakshmi Naik, a 28-year-old mother of two, from Tirumalagiri ST Colony in Yerragondapalle of Prakasam district, has made a life-changing decision for her daughter Ushasri Lakshmi, a school dropout. After the announcement of ‘Amma Vodi’ scheme by the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government, she admitted her 10-year-old daughter to the ITDA-run school in Yerragondapalle. The woman also admitted her 5-year-old son to the same school. 

In fact, Ushasri studied up to class II in Anganwadi and Government Primary School, before dropping out, owing to her parents’ semi-nomadic lifestyle and poverty. “We frequently move from place to place in search of work. We could not afford schooling for our children in one place. Hence, we were forced to discontinue our daughter’s studies. Now, as there is an assurance of a steady annual income, we have decided to readmit our daughter in school. If not for the Amma Vodi scheme, we might not have taken the decision,” Lakshmi Naik revealed. 

She and her husband Ramulu Naik have decided to settle down at Tirumalagiri ST Colony and find work to support the family as they need not worry about their children’s education any more. Similar is the case of P Krishnaveni, a class II student, who was forced to drop out of the school in Ichchapuram of Srikakulam district last year. The reason: Her mother Bhanu could not afford to send her to school. A domestic help, Bhanu’s meagre income is not sufficient to support her family. Now, the Jagan government’s Amma Vodi scheme has come as a ray of hope and Krishnaveni is back in school. Even her sister Akshaya is in class I.  

“Last year, I had to take the hard decision of discontinuing my daughter’s education. Since my husband, a mason, passed away four years ago, I have been working as domestic help. My poverty has forced me to take that decision,” she recalled and thanked Jagan for Amma Vodi scheme. 

The announcement of Amma Vodi scheme by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, as he had promised during his Praja Sankalpa Yatra, has a positive impact on the admissions in government schools across the State. Compared to the 2018-19 academic year, the number of students in government schools has increased significantly. As per the statistics available with the School Education department, enrolment of students in government schools in the 2018-19 academic year was 37,20,988 and in 2019-20 academic year that commenced in June, it increased to 38,18,927.  

Auto driver K Khadar Bash and his daughter 
Sushma of Kadapa | Express

“The number could improve further as the enrolment process for the current academic year is still continuing,” said an official of the education department.  Srikakulam DEO Chandrakala said there has been an average increase of 5 per cent in enrolment in the government schools in the district.  

K Khadar Basha, who ekes out a living by operating an auto in Murthunjayakunta of Kadapa, was in two minds, whether to continue his second daughter Sushma’s studies or not. She was studying class IX in municipal Urdu medium school.  “What little I was earning was not enough to afford the education of both my daughters. My elder daughter Resham is doing her degree in a private college. At a time when I was in a dilemma, Jagan announced Amma Vodi. It has come as a great relief,” he said. 

Like Basha, Srinivas Rao from Mochampet in Kadapa was also thinking of stopping the education of his children — a son and a daughter, who were studying class X and class IX in a private school.  “I earn just `6,000 per month and half of it is going towards house rent. I was in a fix, but it all changed with the Amma Vodi scheme,” he said.   

Human Resource Development Minister Adimulapu Suresh said the scheme was introduced to ensure education of every child in the State irrespective of their financial status. “Every child should go to school, not to work. Our government is striving to make it happen. We have announced fee reimbursement and Amma Vodi scheme for the purpose,” he maintained. The scheme will be launched in January 2020.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister on Thursday said the infrastructure of government schools would be improved in three years. “In the next three years, all the government schools will be equipped with required infrastructure and good facilities. The government will make public a pictorial comparison of the schools before and after the renovation,” Jagan said.  

Numbers won’t lie

37,20,988 Enrolment of the students in govt schools in 2018-19 academic year
38,18,927 (so far) Enrolment of the students in govt schools in 2019-20 academic year
97,939 Increase in enrolment

Education dept officials attributed it to the Amma Vodi scheme  
5 % increase in enrolment in the govt schools in Srikakulam district

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