Singapore Offers Support For AP Education Reforms

Singapore home minister K. Shanmugam on Tuesday appreciated the education reforms being undertaken by the Andhra Pradesh government and assured Singapore’s cooperation in strengthening the State’s education system.

Shanmugam held discussions with education minister Nara Lokesh on education reforms, drug prevention, skill development and social security after offering prayers at the Tirumala temple. Shanmugam arrived in Tirumala on Monday night and was received by Lokesh. The two ministers offered prayers to Lord Sri Venkateswara during the Suprabhata Seva, Thomala Seva and Archana Seva on Tuesday morning.

During their interaction after the darshan, Lokesh explained the development and welfare programmes being implemented by the coalition government and the changes being introduced in the education sector. Shanmugam appreciated the government’s focus on education and said Singapore would extend cooperation in adopting suitable practices followed there.

Shanmugam said reducing school dropouts was important to prevent children from becoming vulnerable to drugs and other social problems. He appreciated the steps being taken in AP to reduce the dropout rate and suggested further measures to bring it down to zero.

Lokesh also explained the measures being taken to encourage students to shift from private schools to government schools. Shanmugam expressed interest in visiting government schools in the State and assured support for strengthening AP’s education system.

The two sides also discussed measures to control drug abuse. Shanmugam explained Singapore’s approach to drug control and said strict laws and penalties were necessary to tackle the problem. He offered to share Singapore’s experience and support efforts to build a drug-free Andhra Pradesh.

The ministers also discussed linking AP’s Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) with Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Shanmugam explained the role of ITE in providing skills training aligned with employment needs. The two sides agreed to explore cooperation between AP ITIs and Singapore’s ITE to provide job-oriented training to youth.

Separately, speaking after the darshan, Shanmugam appreciated the arrangements made by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). “Many years ago, when I came here, I saw a saying on a plate behind the Executive Officer’s desk: ‘It’s not the darshan that you want, it’s the darshan that he gives.’ I had an excellent darshan, and excellent arrangements were made. It was very nice to come here with Lokesh,” he said.