Schools in Andhra Pradesh to reopen on August 16

Schools in the State will reopen for the 2021-22 academic year on August 16, the government announced on Friday.

The decision to reopen schools was taken at a meeting of the School Education Department, chaired by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Mr. Jagan said the government would also come out with detailed guidelines on August 16 on the implementation of the National Education Policy-2020.

Nadu-Nedu works

On the same day, Mr. Jagan would dedicate to the people the government schools refurbished under the first phase of Nadu-Nedu programme and also launch the second phase works.

The Chief Minister said the Nadu-Nedu programme was designed to transform government schools into robust institutions with lively atmosphere to get the children interested in their classroom lessons and other activities carried out on the school premises.

He directed the officials to ensure that there was no room for corruption in the works allotted under this school infrastructure development drive.

The State plans to take up classification of schools into six categories from pre-primary-1 to Class 12 as per the NEP, he said and directed the officials to create awareness on the need to shift to the NEP.

“There should be no scope for any doubts or apprehensions,” said the Chief Minister and informed that the government would spend ₹16,000 crore for implementation of the NEP-2020 to rejuvenate the education system.

The officials informed him that marks were being awarded to Class 10 students who were declared pass in 2020 and 2021, as the final examinations could not be conducted owing to the COVID pandemic. Grades would be awarded based on the marks, they said.

Facelift

Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh said more than 15000 schools in the State were given facelift under the first phase of Nadu-Nedu and under the second phase, infrastructure facilities in 16,000 schools would be developed.

He said school kits under Jagananna Vidya Kanuka programme would also be distributed to the children on the day the schools reopen.

Minister for Women and Child Welfare T. Vanitha, Principal Secretary, School Education, B. Rajasekhar; Finance Department Chief Secretary S.S. Rawat; Secretary Satyanarayana; Director of Women and Child Welfare Department Kritika Shukla; Commissioner, School Education V. Chinaveerabhadrudu; Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan State Project Director K. Vetri Selvi; Adviser, School Education, A. Murali and others were present at the meeting.