SC ashram schools to be on par with corporates: Nagarjuna

VISAKHAPATNAM: Social welfare minister Merugu Nagarjuna said all SC ashram schools in the state will be brought on par with corporate schools in a phased manner.

Interacting with students and teachers of Dr. BR Ambedkar Gurukulam Centre of Excellence in the Madhuravada area of Visakhapatnam on Saturday, the minister asserted that teaching and learning have improved in SC ashram schools over the years. This is the reason why more and more students belonging to SC communities are getting seats in IITs, NITs and medical colleges.

In this context, Nagarjuna pointed out that ashram school students are turning innovative and creating records at the national level. Six students of Centre of Excellence, Madhuravada, created Dr Robot and found a place in the Telugu Book of Records. The robot collects basic information from patients and prescribes medicines from the data bank.

In this regard, the minister himself examined Dr Robot and spoke to its inventors.

Later, Nagarjuna visited Devarapalli SC ashram school in Anakapalli district and interacted with its students. He told reporters that the tenth pass percentage of SC ashram school had been more than the state average.

“We are setting up coaching centres for tenth-pass students so that they can compete with others in competitive examinations for admission into IITs, NITs and medical colleges,” the minister said. He said so far, three such coaching centres have been set up and their results have been found to be encouraging.

The minister disclosed that a decision has been taken to send meritorious students abroad for higher education. He underlined that nourishment is a vital part of education being provided to ashram school students.

Nagarjuna thanked Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for improving basic infrastructure in educational institutions through his Nadu-Nedu scheme.