VIJAYAWADA: “The education system in our State needs radical changes, and we are committed to making it happen,” asserted Minister for Human Resource Development, IT, Electronics and Communication Nara Lokesh.
Holding a review meeting with senior officials of the Education Department at his residence in Undavalli on Saturday, he directed them to ensure that all the schools in the State are equipped with basic facilities within one year. All pending works, including phase-2 and phase-3 of school renovation initiated by the previous regime should be completed at the earliest, he said.
Enquiring about the quality of the mid-day meal served to students, he sought a detailed report from BR Ambedkar, Director of the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, on measures to be taken to improve the quality of food. Lokesh asked the officials to study sanitation and hygiene policies of the Delhi government and report on how they could be replicated in State schools. Additionally, he sought data on student migration from government to private schools in the past five years and the reasons for it, besides the drop-out rate during the same period. The officials were also asked to submit a report on the number of schools closed down in the past five years and the reasons it.
The HRD Minister instructed the Director of Libraries to identify the best model library in the country, and submit a detailed report on it. He also underlined the need for comprehensive evaluation of the quality and utilisation of educational content of BYJU’s and IB, and asked for a detailed report on CBSE schools in the State.
The officials should complete the distribution of student kits by the end of this month, and ensure that textbooks, notebooks and other stationery material for government junior college students are supplied by July 15. They should also submit a report on undistributed bicycles, which were purchased by the TDP regime, he said.
He made it clear that teacher transfers would be effected transparently. The officials should evolve plans for the proper utilisation of Central funds for the development of schools, he said.
Principal Secretary (Education) Praveen Prakash, Commissioner of Board of Intermediate Education Sourabh Gour, School Infrastructure Commissioner Bhaskar Katamneni, State Project Director of Samagra Shiksha B Srinivasa Rao, Adult Education Director Nidhi Meena, and Director of Public Libraries Prasanna Kumar Reddy were present.