Andhra Pradesh Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Monday (September 22) said his ultimate goal is to see “No Admission” boards outside all government schools, reflecting their growing demand and standards. He noted that 100 schools across the State had already displayed such boards this year, and efforts were underway to replicate the trend in over 42,000 schools.
Replying to a question raised in the Assembly by Narasaraopet MLA Chadalavada Aravind Babu, Mr. Lokesh said the previous government’s GO 117 and GO 85 had pushed nearly 10 lakh poor children away from government schools and hurt primary education outcomes. These orders were scrapped on May 13, 2025, and replaced with new GOs (19, 20, and 21) introducing the One Class–One Teacher model.
The Minister said the number of such model primary schools rose from 1,398 before the coalition came to power to 9,620 now, while upgraded upper primary schools increased from 124 to 729.
He announced that under the Mana Badi – Mana Bhavishyathu initiative, schools would be provided additional classrooms and infrastructure with the support of donors through an online transparent portal. Donors may also have schools named after them, he added. A star-rating system for schools is already in place, with legislators tasked to improve one and two-star institutions.
To reduce dropout rates, the government will deposit ₹600 per month for 10 months directly into parents’ accounts as transport allowance if primary schools are located more than one km away. Nearly 70,000 students are expected to benefit this year.
“Our mission is to build government schools that are not just on par with private institutions, but even better, delivering stronger learning outcomes,” Mr. Lokesh said.
Published – September 22, 2025 03:16 pm IST
