HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has decided to constitute a group of Ministers (GoM) comprising of School Education, Panchayat Raj, Finance, Municipal Administration and Social Welfare Ministers to study functioning of the School Education Department in the State.

A Chief Minister's Office release said the decision was taken after a meeting where Dr. Reddy reviewed performance. The group would be asked to submit recommendations and reforms aimed at improving quality of education.

Targeting SHGs

Dr. Reddy asked officials to use the SC Corporation's engineering wing to construct school buildings and maintain them. He said members of self-help groups should be targeted for education under the total literacy campaign.

He stressed the need for vocational education. More infrastructure facilities should be developed in residential schools.

He said the 94 Kasturba Gandhi Vidyalayas handling girls' education up to Class VII should be upgraded to cover Class IX. Forty more schools would be operational this academic year itself in tribal areas and funds positioned in advance for distribution of textbooks.

Better facilities

All efforts should be made to improve quality of education, toilet, kitchen, gas supply and food facilities and ambience in schools. He felt the idea of community kitchens for mid-day meals could be tried out in municipalities and major towns and food supplied to nearby villages.

Officials informed Dr. Reddy that the `badi baata' programme was yielding favourable results. Consequently, the dropout rate was on the decline and enrolment was high.

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