Education through digital format for Intermediate students in AP

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has advised officials to finalise plans for introduction of the digital format education for Intermediate students on the lines of the digital studies in schools in the state.

At a review meeting he held on education at his camp office on Thursday, he said education through the digital format was very useful to students. He asked officials to make arrangements for distribution of electronic tabs to Class VIII students when the schools reopened.

He also asked the officials to deliver the next year’s Vidya Kanuka kits to all schools by the end of the present academic year while expediting works on the second phase of the Nadu-Nedu.

Jagan Mohan Reddy said there should be a constant review and monitoring of the programmes implemented in the education department for ensuring quality and standards -- from Vidya Kanuka kits to syllabus to basic infrastructure to Gorumudda.

The paper used for the textbooks also should be of high quality, he said.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to submit proposals on arranging digital learning methods for Intermediate students, similar to the way IFP display panels are being provided to students of Class VI and above and TV screens being made available to students of the classes below Class VI.

There should be more seriousness in implementing subject-teacher concepts while special steps should be taken to train the students in English to help them face global-level competitive examinations, he said.

Jagan Mohan Reddy suggested that teachers also should be given training in English, if necessary, by having a tie-up with institutions like Cambridge and TOEFL. It would be better if students are trained in English writing and reading right from Class III, he opined.

Stating that students should take education seriously once they enter Class VI, the Chief Minister asked officials to guide them. “IFP panels should be arranged as per the given schedule in all schools that have completed the Nadu-Nedu’s first phase, besides distributing private online education player’s content-loaded tabs to Class VIII students before the start of the next academic year.”

 When officials said students of YSR Kadapa, Vizianagaram and Chittoor districts have stood first, second and third respectively in the use of tabs, the Chief Minister told them the feedback should be given to the parents on the use of tabs by students.

The officials explained they would complete the distribution of the Vidya Kanuka kits to all schools by the end of April and ensure these reached the students by the time schools are reopened. Eleven types of facilities were provided to 15,715 schools under the first phase of Nadu-Nedu for which auditing has been completed while 23,221 and 16,968 schools respectively would get a facelift in the second and third phases.

Education minister Botsa Satyanarayana, chief secretary Jawahar Reddy, adviser to government (education) Sambasiva Reddy, principal secretary (school education) Praveen Prakash, school education commissioner Suresh Kumar, commissioner (school education- infrastructure) Katamanneni Bhaskar, commissioner (intermediate Education) Seshagiri Babu, Mid-Day Meals director Nidhi Meena, APEWIDC MD Diwan Reddy, and Nadu-Nedu director (technical) Manohar Reddy were among those present.