Andhra plan for foundation schools to be set up in 1-km radius

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed state officials to set up foundational schools in a radius of one-kilometre, while stressing the need to further strengthen the education sector.

By establishing foundation schools, merging Pre-primary (Anganwadi centers), preparatory and Classes 1 and 2, the child acquires the ability to engage in a play-way method of learning that includes activity-based schooling, Reddy said, according to a statement released after he conducted a review meeting on Thursday.

"These essential foundations will help children in further academic learning as the child grows," Reddy said. The chief minister has directed officials that the foundational schools should be within a safe and accessible distance of 1 km radius, whereas the high schools should be with a 3 km radius.

The statement further said that there will be an integration of teaching methodology, curriculum and capacity building to children, specifically for Primary education for the age group of 3-8.

Director of the state Women and Child Welfare department, Kritika Shukla said, "Around 85 per cent of a child's cumulative brain development occurs prior to the age of six. The Annual status of education report, 2019, suggests that focusing on play-based activities that build foundational stage of learning in terms of language, numeracy and cognitive abilities should be introduced in the Pre-primary, preparatory and Class 1 and 2."

After a child completes class 2, they will be transferred to nearby Upper Primary schools and high schools. In this regard, the Chief Minister has also taken a key decision in converting the upper primary school into high schools.

Reddy has introduced several schemes and initiatives under Nadu-Nedu, YSR Sampoorna Poshana and now YSR Preprimary schools to further bring a holistic approach to a child's education.

The CM also mentions that meanwhile, P&L women will continue receiving the benefits under schemes like YSR Sampoorna Poshana, but as far as the health check-ups are concerned, they will be treated at YSR health clinics.

Reddy has also asked officials to come up with solutions to find ways to tackle technical issues that are in the way of implementing E-learning systems in normal classroom sessions.