VIJAYAWADA: HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Saturday launched a scathing attack on former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, accusing him of damaging the State’s education system during his five-year tenure.
In response to his allegations over discrepancies in SSC examination evaluations, Lokesh said the current government achieved 99.75% accuracy and maintained full transparency, unlike the previous regime.
Citing the fallout of past policies, Lokesh said more than 12 lakh students shifted from government to private schools due to poor decisions, including the rushed implementation of the CBSE curriculum in 1,000 schools without adequate teacher training. “90% of students failed when we assessed their readiness after taking charge. For girls, failing Class 10 often means the end of their education,” he said, defending the rollback of the CBSE model.
He also criticised Jagan for wasting Rs 5 crore on an unimplemented IB curriculum plan and leaving Rs 4,500 crore in fee reimbursement arrears. “From eggs to textbooks, bills worth Rs 1,000 crore were unpaid. You called it reform without teachers who could even pronounce TOEFL,” Lokesh quipped.
He added that teacher transfers, once mired in corruption, were being streamlined under a new Teacher Transfer Act. “We are focusing on One Class-One Teacher, value-based education, lighter school bags, and appointing qualified Vice-Chancellors,” he said.
Dismissing claims of question paper leaks, Lokesh alleged that under Jagan’s rule, papers were stored in private resorts. “Today’s government is transparent and ethical. We’ve extended deadline for admissions till June 10 for students affected by discrepancies in evaluations,” he added.
Hitting out at Jagan’s record, he said, “You talk of values but deployed teachers to guard liquor shops. You failed in both public life and personal conduct.” He reiterated the government’s commitment to depoliticising education and ensuring access.