Allam Reshetha Reddy is on cloud nine. She can’t wait for September 15 when she will fly to the United Nations headquarters in New York where she, along with nine other students and a delegation of teachers and officials from the School Education Department, will represent the Andhra Pradesh government and speak about various programmes launched in the State to develop the education sector.
A native of Jammunarayanapuram village in Vizianagaram district, Ms. Reshetha was the topper of Municipal High School at Kaspa in SSC examinations. She is one of the 10 students gleaned from the toppers in the tenth class examinations in the State, who will represent the State on various international platforms, during a 12-day visit from September 15 to 27, including the U.N. headquarters, a youth programme in Columbia University, international youth conference in New York, a meeting at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC, a meeting with Senator Mark Warner, besides enjoying the sight-seeing.
The other nine students include M. Shivalingamma hailing from Podalakunta village of Kowthalam mandal in Kurnool district, M. Chandralekha from Yatapaka village in Alluri Sitharama Raju district, G. Ganesh Anjana Sai from Valluripalle in Pentapadu mandal in West Godavari district, Dadala Jyotsna from Ramanakkapeta of U. Kothapalli mandal in Kakinada district, C. Rajeswari from Islampeta in Nandyal district, Pasupuleti Gayathri from Vatluru Pedapadu mandal in Eluru district, V. Yogeswar from Chandragiri in Tirupati district, Shaik Ammajan from Mudigubba village in Sri Sathya Sai district and Samala Manaswini from Kondabridi village of Kurupam mandal in Parvathipuram-Manyam district.
Principal Secretary (School Education) Praveen Prakash, Commissioner S. Suresh Kumar and Samagra Shiksha State Project Director B. Srinivasa Rao held deliberations with the Special Consultative Status Member from the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) followed by meetings with Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana, leading to finalisation of the visit.
The student delegation will speak on various platforms about the initiatives launched by the State government such as Mana Badi-Nadu-Nedu, Jagananna Vidya Kanuka, Amma Vodi, Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena and digitalisation of schools.
Samagra Shiksha Project Director B. Srinivasa Rao has been appointed the head of the delegation and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) Secretary D. Madhusudhana Rao is the nodal officer who has been tasked with applying for passports and visas for the students and make travel and accommodation arrangements in the U.S.A.
“This is the first time that government school students, a majority of whom belong to the weaker sections of the society, are being sent on such an exposure trip,” says V. Vijaya Durga of the Samagra Shiksha wing, one of the teacher delegates. The other teacher delegate is V. Hema Prasad, a school assistant from the office of the Education Commissioner.
“This visit will help these students comprehend global issues and hone their skills to negotiate and articulate their speech. The exposure trip will help them hone the skills of speaking with clarity and conviction before large gatherings,” says School Education Commissioner S. Suresh Kumar.
Selection process
To select the 10 students, a written test was conducted for 103 toppers of the SSC examination on July 31. Of them, 30 were short-listed for a speaking test conducted on August 2 by a four-member committee and the best 10 of them were finalised. The team comprises eight girls and two boys.
“Travelling abroad is beyond our imagination. It took us some time for the news to sink in,” says an elated father of Ms. Jyotsna, Dadala Simhachalam, who works as a security guard in a private firm.
