English Language Skills for TOEFL in AP Government Schools; Orders Issued

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Government’s school education department has issued GO- RT 267 saying that a Delhi-based private firm is providing the software free of cost to enhance the English language skills of AP’s government school students to write TOEFL exams.

The firm, Liqvid English Edge Pvt Ltd, Noida, in association with the state government would help the students of grades 3 to 9 across all government schools in this respect.

Principal secretary to education, Praveen Prakash, recalled the reforms undertaken by the state government in the school education sector. Through market research, the government found that Liqvid English Edge had done exemplary work in enhancing English language, communication and employability skills of students through digital mode.

This firm has served over 2.5 million learners in the past two decades and refined 100 million learner data points. Moreover, it has designed the e-content as per the class and age-appropriate which is useful for the students, the official said.

This firm will provide the content until March 2024 (academic year 2023-24), to improve students’ speaking and listening skills and improve their performance in the TOEFL programme and also conduct training for officials of the state school education department.

The GO also stated that there will be no further financial commitment to Samagra Shiksha/ government except three trainers from the LIQVID to come and train students for 3 days three times. This costs about Rs 1.95 lakh each and the content is given free of cost.

The AP government has appealed to LIQVID that all the students of the current academic year in the government schools in AP, who will be writing exams and who are mostly from poor and middle-class families, must be provided the content free of cost for this academic year.

For training the teachers, experts from LIQVID will be called in.

Praveen Prakash said that the government has also assigned teachers to teach the TOEFL subject in the schools and directed that one period per day should be reserved for the TOEFL training. IFPs (Interactive Flat Panel) and Smart TVs are already provided in a majority of the classes and the remaining classes will get IFPs by December, he said.