Nellore: As part of infrastructure development in municipal schools at 110 municipalities across AP municipal administration wing has mobilised Rs 25 crore from different corporate firms to supply 70,000 benches as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. The first lot of benches have been supplied to the schools in Nellore city. After distributing the benches to Yenugu Sundararami Reddy School at Moolapeta in Nellore on Tuesday, municipal administration and urban development minister P. Narayana said that the move would put an end to the ordeals of students who used to sit on the floor.
According to the minister 2, 80,000 students are studying in municipal schools and government is giving top priority to ensure basic infrastructure to all the schools. Referring to the foray of the students of AP and Telangana in securing ranks and admissions in IIIT, JIPMER and NITs among other premier institutes of learning, he said first 2000 ranks out of 10,000 ranks are being grabbed by students of two Telugu states.
"However majority of the rankers are students of private institutions and the students of state-run schools are unable to compete with them because of lack of foundation and absence of teaching in English. The results of EAMCET also indicate that Telugu medium students are not doing well in the entrance test. To overcome this situation, foundation course has been introduced from class VI to X besides coaching in English in all municipal schools. Apart from English priority is also being given to Telugu. As of now 2, 30,000 students have been studying in English medium and 46,000 in Telugu medium in the municipal schools," Mr Narayana said.
Reminding that poorest of poor have been studying in municipal schools; he sought cooperation of teachers to provide best education to them. Speaking on the occasion, Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) director China Tataiah said they have released Rs 100 crore for career foundation course introduced in municipal schools. Chairman, Nellore Urban Development Authority Kotamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy, Commissioner S. Dilli Rao and DEO Samuel were present on the occasion.
