Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy launches Rs 12,000 crore programme for AP government schools

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a new programme to improve the quality of government schools across the state on November 14.

Called the “Nadu-Nedu Programme”, it will cover the basic infrastructure, skills upgrade and facilities such as “English laboratories”. In the first phase, the programme targets 15,715 schools. It will cover all schools in three years.

In the first year of the first phase, the government has budgeted Rs. 3,500 crore for infrastructure development and provision of basic amenities including toilets, running water, blackboards and compound walls. The total budget for all three years is Rs 12,000 crore.

One major policy in the programme is the conversion of all government schools from Telugu and Urdu-medium to English-medium which had evoked widespread criticism from opposition parties and educationists.

The chief minister said that the goal of the programme is to meet the skill requirements of the fast-changing world.

Programme for mothers

At the launch, Reddy said: “Despite the criticism from detractors, we will go ahead with English medium schools as we have to prepare the students to boldly face and stand up to the requirements of the technology-driven world and we should not be found wanting and feel guilty if the generation next cannot be prepared to face the highly dynamic and technology-driven world.”

On January 9, we will introduce Amma Vodi, a programme to incentivise mothers to send their children to school and will continue to support them till the intermediate level. Fee-reimbursement will be taken up in a big way in all degree and professional colleges and there will be one-year apprenticeships to get youths ready for employment, said Reddy. A Skill Development University will also be set up. It will oversee the activities of all 25 skill-development centres.