AP government planning two-tier system; teachers to oppose

Ongole: The State government is planning to revamp school education and initiated steps for the same. The existing three-tier system of primary, upper primary and high schools will be changed into the two-tier system of primary and high schools. To effect the change the department of school education is planning to modify the functioning of upper primary schools.

• 3,858 upper primary schools to be turned into primary, secondary schools based on student strength
• 2,941 upper primary schools are going to be downgraded to primary schools and 917 schools are going to be upgraded as high schools
• Primary, high schools also to be consolidated
• APTF opposes the move and says it is against the spirit of right to education

As per the abstract list of a number of schools to be consolidated, prepared by the commissioner of school education, 2,941 upper primary schools are going to be downgraded to primary schools and 917 upper primary schools are going to be upgraded as high schools. This rationalisation is based on the strength of students.

Upper primary schools that have of 60 in classes VI and VII will be upgraded as high schools and upper primary schools having less than 50 students would be downgraded to primary schools. High schools having less than 50 students would be consolidated with nearby high school, within the radius of 3 kilometers.

Primary schools having less than 19 students would be consolidated with another school in less than 1 km radius. Commissioner of school education, K Sandhya Rani prepared an abstract list of schools to be consolidated and as per the list, 1,665 primary schools need to be consolidated with other primary schools.

In the process of rationalisation, Visakhapatnam district would lose 600 primary schools, East Godavari district 433 and Krishna district lose 322 schools and the State would have only 1,873 model primary schools. Anantapur would get 154 high schools, Srikakulam 78, Krishna district gets 59 high schools.

It is estimated that at least 1.2 lakh students from classes VI, VII and VII would be forced to move to schools away from their village. In its latest representation to the Minister and commissioner of school education, the Andhra Pradesh Teachers Federation demanded the government to withdraw the proposal of downgrading the upper primary schools.

The APTF said that the proposal is against the spirit of free compulsory education to children below 14 years age and going to affect the education for girls.