Implement NEP reforms by next year: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Vijayawada: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed that all the reforms in line with the New Education Policy (NEP) should be implemented by next academic year.

Reviewing progress of works in education department at his camp office in Tadepalli on Thursday, the Chief Minister instructed the officials to ensure that teacher-students ratio is maintained in schools and said there should be subject-wise teachers. More than 22,000 teachers will get promotions due to schools being set up under the NEP, he said and added that they should be promoted from SGT to School Assistants and appropriate steps should be taken to improve their capabilities. He instructed the officials to complete promotions and transfers and implement the reforms by June.

The Chief Minister instructed officials to change two schools into junior colleges in each mandal and said one junior college would be for co-education and another for girls. He said all the recommendations given by SERT should be implemented. He gave green signal for changing the name of Mandal Resource Centre to Mandal Education Officer's Office and giving drawing powers directly to the MEO.

He approved the SERT recommendation of handing over educational activities to MEO and gave nod for recruitment of MEP posts. He has approved implementation of SERT recommendations of having real time data rather than various apps without duplication, taking online attendance and also entering the students marks online. He approved implementation of SERT recommendations of not using teachers for non-academic works and headmasters organising one meeting in a month.

The Chief Minister instructed the officials to take immediate action for redressal of complaints from schools and also focus on lack of facilities and repair of infrastructure and other issues. Focus should be laid on maintenance of schools, facilities related to toilets and drinking water. He directed the officials to start second phase of Nadu-Nedu works very soon.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that they would start second phase of Nadu-Nedu works on February 15 and complete them by September. The state government has set up a toll-free number 14417 to report any problems related to Jagananna Vidya Kanuka, toilet maintenance, Gorumudda, and maintenance of schools and the Chief Minister said it should work effectively.

The Chief Minister instructed the officials to provide dictionaries to new students in schools and teach them everyday one word and its usage and told them to make it a part of the curriculum. He instructed the officials to focus on digital learning for Classes VIII, IX and X and see if it can be taught as a subject.

The officials briefed the Chief Minister on the six types of schools that were newly-classified according to NEP and the staff in those schools. They said they have ensured a high school within 3 km and mapping is done following these guidelines.

They said a state level awareness workshop was conducted for all stakeholders and they will also be conducting at district level soon. The officials said it is completely false that schools are being shut down due to NEP and they have been merging the classes and not schools and asserted that there would be no closure of schools.