Amaravati: Education Minister Nara Lokesh has criticized the previous YSRCP government, stating that its poor decisions led to a drastic decline in academic standards across Andhra Pradesh’s schools. Addressing the Legislative Council on Wednesday, he highlighted the alarming drop in student learning levels and enrollment in government schools.
Citing the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), Lokesh revealed that while 57% of students could read their grade-level books in 2014, this percentage dropped to 37.5% during YSRCP’s tenure. He further pointed out that 80% of eighth-grade students could read second-grade Telugu books in 2014, but by 2024, this number had fallen to 53%.
Lokesh attributed this decline to forced reforms and unplanned policies, such as GO 117, which disregarded local concerns and led parents to opt for private schools. The total student enrollment in government schools and junior colleges dropped by 12 lakh, reaching a low of 33.4 lakh during the YSRCP rule.
To reverse these setbacks, the TDP-led NDA government is implementing 10-15 major reforms, including the Teachers Transfers Act, technology-driven assessments, Clicker Technology, and the Model Primary School concept with one teacher per class for schools with over 60 students.
