Lokesh urges teacher unions to help the government implement result-oriented reforms effectively

HRD Minister Nara Lokesh aims to reform public education system for better learning outcomes through collaborative efforts with stakeholders.

Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Nara Lokesh on Friday said the government wanted to usher in result-oriented reforms to strengthen the public education system and enhance learning outcomes.

Addressing representatives of various teacher unions, Mr. Lokesh said there was a need to invest concerted efforts to achieve the ambitious goal set by the government. The Minister held a marathon round of talks with the union leaders on various issues. He said the government was ready to effectively address all the existing issues and expected teachers to focus on enhancement of the learning outcomes, which was key to improve the current situation.

He said among other initiatives, star-ratings were introduced for schools and teachers and parents were being engaged in the larger scheme of bringing in accountability over student performance.

The HRD Minister said the government wanted to avoid closure of schools and instead focus on improving enrolment through better facilities and awareness campaigns. He asked the officials and teachers to give special attention to students coming from SC, ST and minority communities.

He said plans were afoot to provide modern facilities like digital libraries, sports amenities and labs and also reduce the burden of non-academic activities on teachers. New initiatives were being designed to curb school dropout rate, especially among the marginal communities, he added.

Mr. Lokesh said the government was aiming to create ‘Andhra Model Education” in the next five years by combining “hardware” (strong infrastructure) and ‘software” (motivated teachers). “Only collaborative efforts by all the stakeholders, including teachers, parents and local authorities, can help the government realise this transformation, he emphasised.

The issues that were discussed included the alternatives for GO 117, action plan for the next 100 days, especially in view of the ensuing SSC and Intermediate Board examinations, promotions and transfers of teachers.