1,060 schools get facelift in Nellore

Nellore: Around 1,060 schools in the district have been renovated as part of Manabadi Naadu-Nedu programme. There are 1,027 schools in the rural areas and 38 in municipal areas. The officials are striving to complete the works before November.

The state government has planned to develop about 15,000 schools across the state. The basic facilities such as toilets, drinking water supply, furniture for students and staff and renovation of the buildings including major and minor repairs, blackboard and electrification with fans and tube lights will be done.

The officials said that the scheme has been initiated to transform the government schools into premium institutions by improving the standard of education, renovating the infrastructure, and a wide range of issues will be brought under the purview of the programme.

In fact, Samagra Shiksha, Andhra Pradesh had selected 1,027 schools in all 46 mandals and AP Education and Welfare Development Corporation (APEWIDC), Panchayat Raj, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and Tribal Welfare Departments are taking up the works in rural areas. There are 612 primary, 255 upper primary and 160 high schools in 46 Mandals.

Fifteen primary, three upper primary and 20 high schools were selected from Gudur, Kavali, and Nellore municipal limits where public health and municipal engineering departments are implementing the works. District collector KVN Chakradhar Babu said that these 1,060 schools were renovated during the first phase.

District education officer P Ramesh said, "The admissions are increasing year by year with the development of schools and students are competing with the corporate schools". He added that Amma Vodi, Jagananna Gorumudda, and Vidya Kanuka are now encouraging the students to join the government schools.