Lokesh urges teachers to drive education reforms

Vijayawada: Calling teachers the driving force behind educational transformation, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education, IT and Electronics Nara Lokesh on Friday urged government school teachers to emerge as “change-makers” and lead reforms aimed at building an “AP Model of Education.

”Addressing 37 teachers who recently returned from a study tour to Singapore, Lokesh said the state government would recognise teachers who deliver outstanding results and encourage them to mentor their peers. He asked the participants to implement the best practices they observed during the visit at the school, cluster and mandal levels.The minister said improving the relationship between teachers, students and subjects was as important as strengthening infrastructure, adding that the government now intends to focus on both physical facilities and classroom learning outcomes.

He stressed the need to improve analytical thinking and learning outcomes while preparing students for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.Lokesh said the reforms initiated by the government had already started yielding results, claiming that more than one lakh students had shifted from private schools to government institutions this academic year. “There are no teachers better than our government school teachers.

Together, we should build an AP Model of Education,” he said.He said Andhra Pradesh should now compete not just with other Indian states but with global education systems. Referring to the recently introduced teacher transfer legislation, Lokesh said promotions had been made transparently on the basis of seniority without political recommendations.The minister acknowledged that transforming the education system would take time but assured teachers that the government would address issues in a phased manner. He also urged the teachers who underwent training in Singapore to serve as mentors and leaders in implementing innovative teaching practices across the state.School education commissioner Tamim Ansariya and SCERT director M Venkata Krishna Reddy were present at the meeting.