Chief Minister YS Jaagan Mohan Reddy reiterated his committed view point that quality education only could eradicate poverty and help students from weaker sections competetive at global level.Participating in the India Today Education Summit held in Tirupati on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that the Government will carry forward educational reforms for making the government school students globally competitive.
Replying to the queries by senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, the Chief Minister said that the rich are sending their children to the corporate schools and the students from the poor families should also be helped to compete with others for a better living.
He said that Government has been striving to provide quality education to the poor through digitalisation of class rooms, teaching of modern subjects, English medium teaching, bilingual text books and providing better infrastructure through Nadu-Nedu.
On introduction of International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum in Government schools, he said that it would be introduced from the academic year 2025-26 beginning with Class 1 students who would learn the upgraded versions when they are promoted to Class II and III and so on and in a period of 10 years, students of all classes would be studying all related IB subjects simultaneously.
The Chief Minister said that Government is also taking steps to make the required number of teachers available for capacity building in tune with the growing content and requirements.
When asked about the funding for the reforms in education, he said that Government has a roadmap for the implementing the reforms.
“We have a budget of Rs.14,000crores for Nadu-Nedu and around Rs. 8300 crore has already been spent for its first phase and necessary funds would be allotted as and when necessary,” he said, adding that Government has been spending huge amount on educational sector to ensure that quality education is available to the poor just as a matter of right.
“It is not just Right to Education but Right to Quality Education is what we are we are focusing on”, he said.
In response to a query on accountability, the Chief Minister said that school committees, responsible teachers and district level officers are regularly monitoring the situation.
“I am conducting periodical reviews on funds utilisation and provision of facilities so that there would be more accountability,” he said.
To a question whether reforms in education can win elections, he said that students have no voting rights and Government has no political motives behind the reforms.
Politics is something else and students are not voters, he said, asserting that poverty cannot be eradicated unless and until their lives are improved with quality education.
Government is only providing quality education to the poor so that they would be able to compete with others at the global level and get high paid jobs for a better livelihood, he said, adding it has introduced honours courses at the degree level, verticals like asset management and risk management in B.Com and related classes besides making internship mandatory like in western countries to make the education job-oriented.
Government wants to ensure and showcase to the world that the students of downtrodden families also can compete with the students of the rich families at the global level, he said.
