Nadu-Nedu a big hit, not a single school will be closed down: Andhra Pradesh government to HC
VIJAYAWADA: The State government has submitted before the Andhra Pradesh High Court that not a single government school will be closed. It further said the government’s Nadu-Nedu initiative evoked tremendous response and an additional 7.3 lakh students got themselves enrolled.
Advocate General S Sriram made the submissions before the High Court which heard petitions filed by P Seshagiri of East Godavari, V Satyavathi of Kadapa and five others challenging the GO 117 issued by the government. Sriram informed the court that the reforms are in tune with the National Education Policy and said the State government did not intend to exclude Telugu medium instruction in government schools.
He said that some people are misleading students on English medium instruction and both Telugu and English medium of instruction will continue. In fact, in some Srikakulam schools, Odia medium was introduced. The choice of selecting the medium of instruction will be left to students and their parents. The government is compiling the data for rationalising teachers in government schools in tune with the NEP, he said.
Petitioners' counsel AS Prasad said there is a possibility that schools would be closed down in the name of rationalisation and implementing the NEP. The State government is trying to enforce English medium education in government schools in a different way as the High Court had earlier ruled against the same.
Intervening, Justice M Ganga Rao sought to know as to what is the objection of the counsel if the government introduces English medium of instruction.
When the court was about to issue a stay on GO 117, the Advocate General said there is one month time to implement it. With this, the court said it would issue status quo on the GO. Sriram objected to it and said the petitions are supposed to come up for hearing before a division bench as per the roster. Justice Ganga Rao directed the Registrar General to refer the petitions to the division bench.