The Andhra Pradesh Government is set to introduce English medium in government schools right for first to eighth standard starting from the next academic year.
Education Minister A. Suresh told the media at Amaravati on Tuesday that earlier in the day Chief Minister Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy had conducted a review on "Naadu-nedu" (Then and now) programme which will introduced from November 14- Children's Day.
He said under the programme, to be launched by the Chief Minister in Prakasam district , the basic amenities in schools will be improved and in the first phase it would be taken up in 15,000 schools. This phase would be completed by March 2020, and in the next phase remaining schools will be taken up, the total number being around 40,000 .
He said it was decided to introduce instruction in English medium in all government schools . But Telugu will not be neglected and be made a compulsory subject. From the next academic year, instruction in English will begin . In subsequent years, it will be extended to cover the ninth and tenth standards as well. Teachers will be trained to teach in English and new teachers to be recruited would be tested for their proficiency in English.
Suresh said the idea was to make students competent to fare better in competitive exams and also to prepare them for sectors such as software and IT.
It may be noted that the previous Telugu Desam Government also toyed with the idea of introducing English medium right from the primary level and even a GO was issued, but it could not be implemented, as there was resistance from different quarters including associations of teachers.