VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed officials to ensure a significant increase in the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the State. Addressing a review meeting on higher education on Friday, he said though the effective implementation of the Jagananna Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena schemes had helped increase the GER, it is not enough.
“Our target should be above 80% GER,” he asserted. He reiterated that the reforms in the education sector and schemes like Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena are meant to ensure that students are not deprived of higher education due to poverty.
The courses in higher education should be job-oriented. Supplementary and special courses should be introduced for the benefit of students. “They should become proficient in English with good communication skills. The students should be provided the best coaching to enable them clear GRE and GMAT with ease.” he averred.
Jagan said the fee reimbursement and Vasathi Deevena schemes will be applicable to all the children in a family unlike earlier when they were limited to only one child. The decision was taken to ensure education for both boys and girls. The officials should focus on curbing the school dropout rate among girls in backward areas of Kurnool, Chittoor, and Prakasam districts.
Four to five universities in the State should be selected and efforts should be made to develop them on par with the top varsities in the country. Ten month-internship should be made mandatory for graduation courses and it should be implemented in three phases, two months each in the first and second years and six months in the third year, he explained.
He said there should be a one-degree college in each Assembly constituency and junior colleges should be developed under Nadu Nadu. Emphasis should be laid on the development of degree colleges in the State and they should be encouraged to offer innovative courses.
All the government degree colleges should be brought under the purview of one university to add value to degree courses. Andhra Pradesh should be a major destination for degree courses in the country. Students who complete degree course in the State, should get better placements, he stressed.
The Chief Minister instructed the officials to take measures to fill up vacant lecturer posts in colleges in a transparent manner. Communication skills should also be considered in selection of candidates for lecturer posts. Universities should lay emphasis on discipline and transparent administration to improve the standards of education. IIITs in Ongole and Srikakulam should be completed at the earliest, he added.
Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, Higher Education Principal Secretary J Syamala Rao, AP Community Development Board Chairman Nedurumalli Ram Kumar, RJUKT Chancellor KC Reddy, AP State Council of Higher Education Chairman K Hemachandra Reddy, Finance Secretary N Gulzar and other officials were present.
10-month internship for degree courses
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said a 10-month internship should be made mandatory for graduation courses and it should be implemented in three phases, two months each in the first and second years and six months in the third year. There should be at least one-degree college in every Assembly constituency in the State, the Chief Minister said