VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy sought special focus on 34,000 Foundational Schools in order to ensure quality education to children.
He was at a review meeting with education, women and child welfare departments on Thursday. He said that 80 per cent of children develop intellectual intelligence by the age of six years, which is why special focus should be on children between 3 to 8 years.
Jagan Mohan Reddy discussed various measures on providing strong foundational education to pre-primary and primary students during the review meeting. He said that there were 34,000 pre-primary and primary schools, which would be converted into foundational schools that can provide the best possible education.
He reiterated that it was his quest to provide quality education to poor students. YSR pre-primary schools and foundational schools have come up from those thoughts, he said. It was towards this that Mana Badi Nadu Nedu was established and schools are being revamped as a part of the programme.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the government is planning to set up a junior college in every mandal and directed officials to study the feasible options so that a decision can be taken later.
He said that foundational schools should be within a kilometre radius and high schools should be within a three-kilometre radius.
The Chief Minister directed officials to look into the impact of the new proposals and to report in the next review. If these proposals are to be implemented, Classes 3,4,5 will be elevated to upper primary or high schools. Once the work is completed, a plan should be prepared to start Nadu Nedu works in foundational schools.
He directed officials to focus on digital teaching once foundational schools are set up and go about it with a digital teaching methodology. He said that after black boards and green boards, the coming days will have digital boards.
Officials come up with Foundational schools blueprint
Officials of school education and women and child welfare departments have laid proposals for strong foundational education to pre-primary and primary students to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy during a review meeting on Thursday.
They explained that special focus is laid on children in the three-eight years age-group for good brain development. The new proposals were laid with focus on effective utilisation of teachers and providing best education to those students and foundational schools will be set up in this regard. YSR Sampoorna Poshana will be implemented as usual in them.
The officials explained that under the proposals pre-primary-1, PP-2, preparatory, first and second class, would be turned into foundation schools. Anganwadi Centres will be merged with nearby local primary schools thus forming foundational schools. Such anganwadi centres being converted into PP-1 and PP-2 will come under the purview of Foundational Schools.
Curriculum, comprehensive teaching methods, enhancing skill levels related to PP-1 and PP-2, and to focus on multi-level learning through foundational schools.
They stated that classes 3, 4, 5 of primary schools will be transferred to nearby upper primary schools and high schools. The upper primary schools will be converted into high schools.
The officials further stated that a proposal is laid to bring anganwadi teachers into the teaching stream as foundational schools were set up. They will be given requisite training and can get to work as SGTs in primary schools through promotions.
The officials explained that health-related activities of anganwadi centres will be changed to YSR Village Clinics and urban clinics. Health, nutrition awareness, health screening, vaccines for immunizations, referral services will be changed to clinics.
Education minister Adimulapu Suresh, women and child welfare minister Thaneti Vanitha, school education principal secretary Buditi Rajashekar, woman and child welfare principal secretary AR Anuradha, panchayat raj commissioner Girija Shankar, school education commissioner Chinaveerabhadrudu, women and child welfare director Kritika Shukla, and other senior officials were present.
