Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh has announced an ambitious plan to transform all government schools in the state into five-star-rated institutions. Speaking during the Assembly question hour, he said the government aims to upgrade infrastructure across schools with an investment of ₹1,000 crore.
Responding to a question raised by Palasa MLA Gouthu Sirisha regarding alleged irregularities in the earlier Nadu Nedu school modernization programme, Lokesh said the previous government’s policies had led to serious gaps. He noted that even after implementing Nadu Nedu, as many as 233 schools were forced to shut down. He also blamed the earlier government’s GO 117 for pushing poor students away from government schools. He stated that the present coalition government has already scrapped that order.
The minister explained that ₹200 crore is currently available in School Management Committee accounts for infrastructure development. An additional ₹800 crore has been allocated in this year’s budget. Together, this creates a ₹1,000 crore pool that will be used next year to strengthen facilities in government schools across Andhra Pradesh.
Lokesh said the government has identified five priority areas for immediate improvement. These include leak-proof buildings, proper painting, adequate benches, functional toilets, and safe drinking water. He stressed that these basic facilities are essential to ensure a dignified and quality learning environment.
He also highlighted the importance of the One Class One Teacher policy in improving academic standards. Earlier, only three percent of schools followed this model. The figure has now increased to thirty three percent, and the government believes this shift is already producing better results.
The minister revealed that the government has introduced a star rating system for schools, with the long term goal of bringing every government school to a five star standard. At present, no school has achieved a full five star rating. He said the administration is committed to completing all pending works on a war footing and ensuring accountability in execution.
On financial matters, Lokesh assured the Assembly that pending bills related to works undertaken between 2014 and 2019 will be addressed. Meanwhile, MLA Gouthu Sirisha alleged that large scale irregularities had taken place under the previous government’s Nadu Nedu programme. She demanded action against those responsible and urged the government to complete unfinished school buildings at the earliest.
With this renewed focus on infrastructure and accountability, the Andhra Pradesh government has signaled a major push to rebuild confidence in public education and improve learning outcomes across the state.
