Andhra Pradesh: Anganwadis to become YSR pre-primary schools

Amaravati: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting on pre-primary education and Anganwadi kendras at the camp office here on Monday.

Under Naadu Nedu, woks will be taken up at Anganwadi centres at an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore and they will function as YSR pre-primary (PP) schools.

The Chief Minister said that the curriculum of pre-primary schools should be like a transition to Class I and care should be taken while drafting it. The responsibility was given to the education department to prepare the curriculum.

Anganwadi centres will hereafter be referred to as YSR pre-primary schools and the Chief Minister was shown the model books that would be introduced in the PPs.

As per the Central guidelines, Anganwadi teachers should study diploma courses, in which they get training in the teaching methods and easy ways to teach children.

Revamping the existing Anganwadi centres and construction of new buildings where Anganwadis do not have their own building will be taken up under Naadu Nedu.

The Anganwadis should have clean drinking water, toilets and other amenities as reforms in the education field are being brought in from the elementary stage itself. Women and child welfare director Kruthika Shukla gave a power point presentation on the proposals of PP-1 and PP-2. She said they had been providing nutritious food to children from seven months to six years in Anganwadis.

There are 55,607 Anganwadis with a strength of 8.70 lakh children. Telugu and English are being introduced to the children besides moral science, team work and self awareness. In the state, 11,448 Anganwadis are located in the schools itself, she said.

Ministers Audimulapu Suresh, Taneti Vanita, chief secretary Nilam Sawhney, women and child welfare director Krutika Shukla and other officials took part in the meeting.