VISAKHAPATNAM: The Andhra Pradesh school education department is planning to roll out ‘early childhood care and education in a phased manner in Anganwadis, primary and high schools. This would be based on the recommendations made in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
As part of the programme, pre-primary education would be started in government schools. Under this proposed new model, all the existing Anganwadi Centres will function as YSR Pre Primary Schools with pre-primary (PP1 and PP2) classes. The primary schools in Andhra Pradesh will have preparatory 1st class, class I and class II, and they will be called ‘foundational schools’. The children, now studying class III to V in the existing primary schools, will move to the nearest upper primary school or high school. If sufficient classrooms are not available in the high schools to accommodate these classes, additional classrooms will be considered to be sanctioned under Manabadi: Nadu Nedu scheme. When it comes to secondary schools, schools with high enrolment and adequate infrastructure may be proposed to be upgraded as secondary schools with 12th standard.
In a circular issued by the school education department, director, school education, Chinaveerabhadrudu Vadrevu, asked the regional and district-level officials to follow the guidelines and exercise the possibilities. He asked them to propose the best mapping of existing schools to transform to the new structure of 5+3+3+4, duly focusing on early childhood care and education and foundational learning. As per the parameters issued by the school education department, every pre-primary school will be at the doorstep, the foundational school within a radius of one kilometre and the secondary school within a radius of three kilometres from the habitation of the students. The teacher-pupil ratio shall be as far as possible 1:30 in case of primary, 1:35 in case of middle level and 1:40 in case of secondary level. In this process, no school or Anganwadi centre shall be closed. No student shall have to move beyond 3 kilometres, in case he or she has to move to an existing upper primary or high school. The authorities have been asked to furnish the details of this exercise by June 2.
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