Vijayawada: Foundation schools to improve education quality

Vijayawada: The state government introduced foundation schools concept to improve quality of education, said minister for education A Suresh while stressing that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was committed to provide quality education.

Replying to questions raised by members in Assembly on Thursday, the minister said that the state government had spent Rs 90,000 crore towards education sector in the past three years. As there were no junior colleges in 202 mandals as per recent observation, the Chief Minister directed the officials to set up two junior colleges each in theses mandals. He said that while the TDP government had given priority to corporatisation of education, the YSRCP government had introduced concept of foundation schools.

He said revolving fund will be provided to such schools and through community contracting, headmaster will act as convener and parents as members to develop the schools. He said that the Chief Minister also directed the officials not to utilise the services of teachers to other than teaching. The state government has been focussing on introducing internship and skilling programmes at degree level to increase employment opportunities to students, he added. Suresh said Rs 6,349.6 crore was spent towards Jagananna Amma Vodi programme during 2019-20 and Rs 6,673.4 crore in 2020-21 to provide annual financial assistance of Rs 15,000 to each mother belonging to BPL families.

Under Manabadi: Nadu-Nedu programme, an amount of Rs 3669 crore has been spent towards strengthening government schools, he said and added that under Jaganna Gorumudda an amount of Rs 1600 crore is being spent every year towards midday meal scheme.

The minister said Rs 1,437.31 crore was spent on Jagananna Vidya Kanuka during 2020-21 and 2021-22. Besides, Rs 444.89 crore was spent for safeguarding the health of students by providing hygienic conditions in toilets. TDP MLA K Atchannaidu said that the TDP government sanctioned Rs 4,000 crore for development of schools. Due to rationalisation of schools, both the students and parents are suffering, he added. He said that the present government discontinued the financial assistance sanctioned to students pursuing foreign education during TDP regime.

Minister for social welfare Pinepe Viswaroop rejecting the allegations of Atchannaidu on discontinuation of assistance to students pursuing foreign education, said that the government has been continuing the assistance.

MLAs P Rajanna Dora, Merugu Nagarjuna, K Dharmasri, K Bhagyalakshmi and B Madhusudana Reddy said as a result of development of infrastructure under Manabadi Nadu-Nedu, the enrolment in government schools had increased.