Few students, no more new schools, colleges to open in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: No new primary schools and colleges will be opened in Andhra Pradesh, and existing schools and colleges will be redesigned, as the student population is decreasing, according to a report of the state government.

The population below 20 years was 167 lakh in 2011; it will be 147 lakh by 2026 at the current rate of decrease. 

This has led the state government to direct the education department to design the education infrastructure keeping in mind the decreasing numbers.

There are 61,128 schools in the state.  There are 2,117 habitations without primary schools and 2,485 habitations without upper primary schools, a majority of them in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts. 

Even as the below-20-years population is reducing, the dropout rate at primary and secondary school level is increasing. 

The dropout rate at elementary school level is 3.2% and at secondary school level it is about 12.7%. 

More girl students in primary, upper primary and secondary level drop out, while at higher secondary level the drop-out rate of boys is higher.

There are about 444 government junior colleges, 2,280 private unaided junior colleges and 131 private aided junior collages. 

The number of students enrolled in government junior colleges is 1,99,147 and in aided colleges, 92,632.  In both categories of institutions the enrolment numbers have dropped.