Guntur: Government likely to upgrade ZPHS as Jr colleges in 17 mandals

Guntur: The Board of Intermediate Education officials identified 17 mandals in Guntur district to upgrade the existing Zilla Parishad High Schools as junior colleges from the academic year 2021-22.

Following instructions of the BIE commissioner V Rama Krishna, the officials identified the mandals where there is no junior college in the district. They sent the report to the BIE commissioner's office in Vijayawada for taking the further action.

The officials will conduct a feasibility study to upgrade the ZPHS as junior colleges. For this purpose, the BIE officials will set up the committees with senior principals and lecturers. After conducting the feasibility study, the BIE will send the report along with the recommendations to the government for taking further action. Then, the government will give its nod to upgrade the ZPHS as junior colleges in the respective mandals.

Most of the ZPHS in the rural areas will be upgraded as junior colleges. After that the government will appoint the lecturers on contract basis. Girl students belonging to weaker sections are not coming to distant places to join junior colleges. As a result, the girl students' dropout rate is increasing after SSC. Taking this into consideration, the government has decided to upgrade the ZPHS as junior colleges.

An official in the BIE on the condition of anonymity said, "We have identified the ZPHS in 17 mandals in rural areas to upgrade as junior colleges. After getting the feasibility study report, the government will take further action."

MTF State president S Rama Krishna demanded that the government upgrade the High Schools in Municipal Corporations as junior colleges. It will benefit the poor students in the urban areas, he said.