50000 students of AP govt. schools complete University of Melbourne’s Schools Engagement Programme

VIJAYAWADA: The University of Melbourne has successfully surpassed the ambitious target that was set to reach 50,000 students through the Schools Engagement Programme (SEP) in AP with the collaboration of the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

The department of school education, Rotary international districts in zone 7, Rotary India Literacy Mission and the AP government's Samaghra Shiksha were made part of the programme.

The SEP was held in the ZP High School at Ramavarappadu, seeking students to make good use of the programme to develop study and life skills.

Professor Michael Wesley, deputy vice-chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement), University of Melbourne, said, “The Schools Engagement Programme supports underrepresented secondary school students in India through career guidance and future planning, helping them understand labour markets and develop their social mobility, empowering them to thrive in their studies and life. Initially launched in seven schools in Pune and Madurai, the programme expanded to over 100 government schools in five districts in Andhra Pradesh in 2023. The University of Melbourne, Australia’s number one ranked university, has embedded world-class research into the programme”.

Dinesh Kumar, collector and district magistrate, Alluri Sitarama Raju district, has emphasised the importance of engaging with young students, who are the future leaders of society.

Kumar stated, “Timely intervention is crucial; if we don’t act now and expand our efforts, we risk losing a ‘demographic dividend’ that will be essential to leverage the productive population and future- ready world. Missing this opportunity could have significant repercussions, not only within India but on a global scale, as the country increasingly stands to export skills and talent.”

Samagra Shiksha (AP) project director B. Srinivasa Rao said, “In today’s world, the problems we are dealing with are complex, requiring many specialised areas of expertise. This calls for an innovative model involving government, academia and industry to work together in a symbiotic manner across secondary and tertiary sectors of education. The government of India and the government of Andhra Pradesh are implementing many coherent reforms as part of the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework 2023 to enhance youth aspirations and closing the gap between industry skill demand and talent supply. So, this programme is a priority and must be replicated.”

Professor Lindsay Oades, Deputy Dean of the faculty of education at the University of Melbourne, stated that across all pilot programs in Pune, Madurai, Vijayawada, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the Schools Engagement Programme has also supported over 1,700 teachers and over 1,00,000 parents and guardians through capacity building activities.