Education reforms drive 1 lakh students to govt schools in AP

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh’s education reforms appear to be yielding significant results, with more than one lakh students moving from private schools to government institutions this academic year. Reviewing the school education, higher education, and skill development departments at his Undavalli residence, education and IT minister Nara Lokesh directed officials to focus on improving student attendance and learning outcomes across government schools.Officials informed the minister that 1.06 lakh students had newly enrolled in government schools after leaving private institutions. The surge was particularly visible in upper primary schools, where 3,515 of the state’s 7,620 schools have reached their maximum student capacity. Officials attributed the growing preference for government schools to recent reforms and improvements in infrastructure and academic standards.

They also noted that 159 schools have been transformed into model primary schools this year.The meeting also discussed concerns over rising fees in private schools. Lokesh instructed officials to study regulatory mechanisms adopted by other states to curb excessive fee collections and protect parents from financial burden.In a major technology-driven initiative, Andhra Pradesh will launch a pilot AI Tutor programme from September 5 for Class 9 and 10 students in 175 LEAP schools.

The AI-based learning system will initially support Mathematics and Science subjects, with plans to integrate it with classroom clicker technology in the future.The minister also reviewed plans for educational infrastructure projects, including the upcoming State Central Library in Amaravati, a District Central Library in Visakhapatnam, and a Skill Excellence Centre in Mangalagiri. Officials said groundwork is underway for the foundation stone ceremony of the State Central Library next month.Separately, Lokesh reviewed higher education recruitment and skill development initiatives. Officials reported receiving an overwhelming 1.89 lakh applications for 1,523 faculty positions across universities. The minister stressed transparency and data-driven verification in the recruitment process.The government is also preparing to launch the ‘Naipunyam’ portal next month to help unemployed youth access skill training and employment opportunities. Officials revealed that job fairs conducted across the state have already helped provide employment to over 1.30 lakh candidates, while overseas placements are also being facilitated through specialised programmes.