More than one lakh students have moved from private schools to government schools in Andhra Pradesh this academic year, according to Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh. Reviewing the School Education Department at his Undavalli residence, the minister 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 shifting from private institutions. They also said that 3,515 out of 7,620 upper primary schools, nearly 46 percent, had reached their maximum student intake capacity. The government attributed the increase in admissions to the education reforms introduced over the past year.
Lokesh also reviewed the issue of high fees charged by private schools and asked officials to study the regulatory models adopted by other states to identify effective ways of controlling excessive fee structures.
The meeting also discussed the introduction of Artificial Intelligence-based learning tools in government schools. Officials said a pilot project will begin on September 5 in 175 LEAP schools, where Class 9 and 10 students will use AI Tutors for Mathematics and Science. The minister suggested integrating AI Tutors with classroom clicker systems in the future to make learning more interactive.
The review also covered the regularisation of IERP posts and the recruitment of guest lecturers for High School Plus institutions.
Officials briefed the minister on plans to establish a State Central Library in Amaravati, a District Central Library in Visakhapatnam, and a Skill Excellence Centre in Mangalagiri. Lokesh reviewed the proposed building designs and offered suggestions. The foundation stone for the State Central Library in Amaravati is expected to be laid next month.