3 Years of YS Jagan's Governance: Education System in Andhra Pradesh Redefined

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is going to complete three years in office on 30th May 2022. YS Jagan is a people's leader, who has cemented his place in the hearts of the masses. Before coming to power, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress (YSRCP) Party supremo promised the people of the state that his party would bring in revolutionary changes to cleanse the system of large scale corruption and irregularities that ruled the roost during the TDP regime. True to his words, the YSR Congress leader  fulfilled most of the promises made in the election manifesto. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy emerged as an undisputed leader and his government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the welfare of people of the state.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the YSRCP President, who made his political debut in 2009, has come a long way. He became a people’s leader with his “Praja Sankalpa Yatra” padayatra in 2017. With his interactions with the people during the walkathon, the YSRCP chief was able to feel the pulse of a common man and soon he became a powerful and popular political leader to reckon with. Under a decade, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy built a political party which registered a thumping majority in the 2019 state assembly elections.  On 30 May 2019, Thursday, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took oath of office and secrecy as the second Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh post bifurcation.

Ever since he assumed charge of his office, the chief minister YS Jagan has been striving hard for the upliftment of all sections of the society. The YSRCP government came up with a slew of welfare schemes for the people of the state. Andhra Pradesh is also focused on improving the education system too. The state government has ushered in revolutionary changes to strengthen and improve the education system in the government-run schools. YS Jagan once said, “A seed sown today will reap fruits in 20 years. A child admitted into government school today will face any competition and challenge the best after 20 years. This is what our mission is.” The YSR Congress supremo believes that education is the game-changer as it would help alleviate poverty. As a part of the government reforms in the education sector, bilingual textbooks are being provided to the students. Furthermore, the CBSE curriculum was being imparted in schools.

Here are some schemes implemented by the government of Andhra Pradesh for the overall development of students.

Amma Vodi:

Under the Amma Vodi scheme, the government provides financial aid to each mother or recognized guardian in the absence of a mother, who is below the poverty line, irrespective of caste, creed, and religion to send their children to state-run schools. The scheme will benefit nearly 43 lakh mothers or guardians annually. The chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is committed to ease the financial concerns of every single mother in the state who wants her child to get access to better education through the Amma Vodi scheme. Because he believes, education is the biggest asset that parents can give to their children.

Introduction of English Medium:

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has also introduced English as a part of the medium of instruction in the government schools. The main objective behind introducing this concept is to help the poor parents who cannot afford private education for their wards. Recently we saw the result of this government initiative when a group of students from Bendapudi Zilla Parishad High School in Thondangi mandal of East Godavari district met Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and interacted with him in fluent English. After interacting with the students, the chief minister said that the implementation of English medium in government schools is proving to be a fruitful programme and he expressed his happiness and satisfaction over the improvement of standards of education in government schools on par with corporate schools. The YSR Congress government is committed to providing quality education to public school students. Teacher training is also provided to the government teachers in a systematic way and the teachers are undergoing the Cambridge Assessment test to improve their English skills.

Schools have been classified into six categories under the NEP from PP-1 to 12th grade. Under this classification, Satellite schools will be offering PP-1, PP-2; Foundation schools offering  PP-1, PP- 2, class 1 and 2; Foundation Plus schools offering PP-1, PP-2 and classes 1-5; Pre-high schools teaching PP-1, PP-2, and classes 1-7; High schools from classes 3-10 and High School Plus from classes 3-12.  

Jagananna Goru Muddha:

The government of Andhra Pradesh has launched Jagananna Goru Muddha and this scheme is focussed on issues of lack of nutrition, food security, and access to education. Under this programme, free lunch is provided to the children in Primary and Upper Primary Classes in Government, Government Aided, Local Body STC, Madrasas and Maqtabs i.e supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) during school working days. 

Jagananna Vidya Kanuka:

In 2020, Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a scheme for school going children which is called Jagananna Vidya Kanuka. Under this scheme, the government will distribute Vidya Kanuka kits to all students of Classes I to X. The kits will contain three pairs of uniforms, one pair of shoes, two pairs of socks, a belt, one set of textbooks and notebooks, and one school bag. The government believes that the scheme will improve the standards of education and reduce the dropout rate.

Nadu Nedu:

Mana Badi Nadu Nedu scheme is also another education-oriented programme that was launched by the government of Andhra Pradesh on 14th November 2019 to improve the amenities in schools. Under the Nadu Nedu scheme, the government has taken up the development of the following issues - Safe drinking water supply, toilets with continuous water supply, fans and tubelights for each room, green chalkboard, English lab, etc.

Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena:

The schemes Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena ushered in the revolutionary changes. The government of Andhra Pradesh launched Vidya Deevena to encourage the students hailing from poor economic backgrounds to pursue higher education. Under the Vidya Deevena scheme, the government will reimburse the full fee of a student which includes tuition fee, special fee, and examination fee. While the Vasathi Deevena scheme reimburses the boarding and hostel fees of students.