VIJAYAWADA: Schools across the State are reopening today (July 5) after summer holidays. Students are excited to meet their classmates, and parents are in a hurry to make arrangements for them. Several primary school have been merged with nearby high schools from this academic year. All the municipal schools were also brought under the School Education department.
There are 59,762 government and private schools with a strength of more than 72 lakh students (as per last year’s enrolment) in the State. The private schools will also reopen today. The classes for 1st to 5th standard students will be held from 9 am to 3:30 pm. From 3:30 pm to 4 pm, there will be games or revision classes.
Pre-high school, high school and high school plus schools will continue from 9 am to 4 pm. There will be games or revision classes from 4 pm to 5 pm.
There will be a 'No-Bag Day' in every week. The strength of students in government schools are expected to increase this year also, thanks to the various schemes being implemented by the government in the education sector.
PV Prabhakar Rao, SG Assistant, MPUP School, Eastveerayapalem, Prakasam district, said teachers are happy and ready to participate in academic activities.
In the academic year 2018-19, there were 70,41,988 students in schools in the State and with the announcement of the Amma Vodi scheme, the strength reached 72,30,293 in 2019-20. Amma Vodi amounts, after deducting Rs 2,000 for both school and toilet maintenance from Rs 15,000, are being deposited in the mothers' account by the government.
S Vijayamma, headmaster of ZP high school, Military Colony, Kurnool, said the reforms brought by the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government in the education sector has enhanced the interest of the parents in admitting their wards in government schools.
I Padma Sudha Mani, a teacher of Model School, Mavillapadu, Tirupati, said decision to provide egg and jaggery peanut chikkis will address the malnutrition issues in students.
Harshita Bhuma, 9th class, SRR Municipal School, Gujjanagulla Guntur, said she and her friends feel happy to go to the school after vacations and thrilled to receive the new school bag, three pairs of uniform cloth, belt, shoes, socks, books and notebooks on Day One.
Except for a few, the government schools have been beautified under the Nadu-Nedu scheme. "It is a fact that some government schools look like or better than corporate schools," observed M Bhaskar Rao, chairman , Parents Committee, Muliguda, Parvatipuram Manyam District.
Meanwhile, the Private schools Association state President, K Chandra Shekar said that nearly 28 lakhs students will join in 13,500 private schools.