A few years ago, the Andhra Pradesh government rolled out reforms in the education sector by dividing schools into six categories. In 2020-21, all the government schools began providing education in the English medium. The State Council of Educational Research and Training began printing bilingual textbooks to facilitate the smooth transition of students from Telugu to English as the medium of instruction. Despite protests and court cases, the government made this switch citing a survey on parents’ aspirations. In 2022-23, the first set of government schools (1,005 of them) were given affiliation to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) as part of a bigger plan to bring all the State-run schools within the CBSE’s fold in phases.
The government claims to have spent ₹63,000 crore in the last four and half years on reforms ushered in to revamp the 45,000 State-run schools through welfare initiatives. The Jagananna Amma Vodi scheme, which provides poor mothers ₹13,000 per annum for sending their children to school, has helped improve student enrolment but has cost the government exchequer ₹26,000 crore. Mana Badi-Nadu-Nedu, which gave a facelift to public sector schools, cost another ₹11,600 crore. Free distribution of annual school kits to students under Vidya Kanuka, encouraging students from marginalised communities to pursue higher education through Vidya Deevena, and creating digital classrooms by distributing tabs to students and installing smart TVs and Interactive Flat Panels in classrooms have all stood the government in good stead.
However, while trying to switch to ‘new age learning’ and transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge State, the government has had to fend off criticism on its failure to cohere its policies with the existing situation. Teacher unions and educationists are upset over the frenetic pace and high costs involved. Stating that the initiatives are being implemented in quick succession without proper homework, they fear that the reforms may be reduced to misguided squandering. Many argue that the much-needed focus on teacher training facilities is missing. Unions have also been protesting against the school merger plan stating that it would put the poorest children at a disadvantage.
Some recent decisions such as training students from Class 3 for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and signing an MoU with International Baccalaureate (IB) to facilitate joint certification for students of Classes 10 and 12 in State schools have also run into controversy. The Opposition Jana Sena Party (JSP) has alleged a scam in the two projects. It has demanded an explanation on why Class 3 students should be trained in TOEFL, the standardised test used to measure the English language ability of students wishing to enrol in universities abroad, when the validity of the test is only for two years.
The collaboration with the Geneva-based IB has also raised the JSP’s hackles. The government’s plan is to introduce the IB syllabus for the first batch of Class 1 students in 2024-25. These students will appear for Class 10 Board examinations in 2034-35 and will be the first batch to receive joint certification issued by the State and the IB. Concerns have been raised that some students may find it difficult to handle this drastic shift.
The JSP has also raised objection over certain clauses in the Letter of Intent document. Alleging that it is a quid pro quo deal, the party demanded that the government drop the project. It said that the IB syllabus will put a huge financial burden of ₹1,200 crore-₹1,500 crore at a time when the government is unable to pay salaries to teachers on time. It also faulted the government for failing to discuss the issue with the various stakeholders.
The government has dismissed the allegations as baseless. The Education Minister, Botcha Satyanarayana, has said that the State has committed to spend only ₹149 crore to bring IB within the reach of the students in five years.
The government’s intention of bringing quality education within the reach of students from the lower strata of society is widely appreciated, but there is lack of coherence in its policies. It has been rushing into new initiatives without consolidating the existing ones. Too much of anything can result in chaos. Strengthening elementary schools before taking up international projects is imperative. Due diligence is critical for reforms in the sector to be successful.
