The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Major thrust to literacy drive on the cards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Major thrust to literacy drive on the cards

By Y. Mallikarjun

HYDERABAD, AUG.31. In a bid to improve educational standards and give an impetus to the literacy drive, the State Government will constitute 7,000 school complexes and launch a literacy mission on September 8, International Literacy Day.

The objective behind the exercise was to maximise the use of physical and manpower facilities, the School Education Minister, N. Rajyalaxmi, told The Hindu . Under the school complex concept, 10 to 15 Government, ZP and municipal institutions would be integrated into a unit headed by a lead school -- a secondary school. It would act as the lead school of the primary, upper primary and secondary institutions within a radius of five km.

Lambasting the Telugu Desam regime for "neglecting'' school education, she explained that there would be at least one lead school in every mandal headquarters.

This identified school would have furniture, playground, laboratory, library and TV for airing educational programmes. Another important aim of the concept was to develop facilities/standards on a par with those in private institutions.

Pointing to the imbalance in physical and manpower resources in many institutions, she said the attached schools would access the facilities of the lead school.

Other objectives

The other objectives of the school complex programme include organising regular in-service training, developing appropriate teaching methodologies aimed at higher enrolment and retention of children, ensuring close monitoring of the performance of students at pre-matric stage.

Each complex would have a committee headed by lead school headmaster to finalise the activities for the calendar year in consultation with all member-schools. Another subjects committee would develop new learning materials and teaching aids.

The aim of the proposed literacy mission was to achieve 100 per cent literacy in three-four years from the existing 69 per cent.

She said the adult education centres, libraries and open schools would be brought under a single umbrella as part of the mission.

It was decided to bring them together, without causing any detriment to the service rules, as the three entities were working separately for the same cause, she added.

Panel formed

Expressing her keen desire to reform the school education system, the Minister said that a five-member committee had been formed to suggest ways to improve primary education.

The committee -- comprising former Osmania University Vice-Chancellor, V. Malla Reddy, Magsaysay awardee Shanta Sinha and educationists C. Ramaiah, Brother Francis and former bureaucrat Penchaialah -- would submit a preliminary report in a week's.

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