Students’ team visits World Bank, interacts with officials

Andhra Pradesh students visit World Bank in U.S. and interact with officials. They explain various programmes launched by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy govt. to improve standards in State-run schools. WB officials appreciate efforts and look forward to more initiatives. Students propose five-point programme to encourage education, exchange ideas, start exchange programmes, introduce activity clubs and model UN concept.

The 10-member students’ team, accompanied by two mentor teachers and senior officials, visited the World Bank at Washington D.C. on Tuesday in the U.S. and interacted with the officials there.

After an informal lunch, the members of the delegation participated in an interactive session on “Education and Health” attended by the World Bank officials, including Lead Health Specialist Rifat Hasan, World Bank Analyst Tracy Wilichowski and Senior Education Specialist Laura Gregory.

The Andhra Pradesh officials explained to the WB official team the various programmes launched by the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government as part of education reforms to improve the standards in State-run schools, like Amma Vodi, Nandu-Nedu, implementation of English as a medium of instruction and printing of bilingual textbooks by the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to facilitated smooth transition of students from Telugu to English medium, with the financial assistance provided by the World Bank.

The WB officials appreciated the efforts of the Andhra Pradesh government and said they were looking forward to involving in more such initiatives in future.

The students proposed a five-point programme including a programme designed specifically to sensitise the parent community to prioritise and encourage education, setting up of a common online platform for students across the world to exchange ideas and discuss key topics like climate change and sustainable development, kickstarting of numerous exchange programmes with top foreign universities, introduction of activity clubs in Government schools and introduction of model United Nations concept and organising of State-level competitions on the subject.