Issue Of AP Schools Closure Raised In Parliament

New Delhi: The issue of closure of government primary and upper primary schools in Andhra Pradesh was raised in the Parliament by YSRCP MP V Vijayasai Reddy, on Thursday.

The MP asked the union ministry of Human Resources if it was aware that the Government of AP has given order to close 3,778 primary and 2,384 upper primary schools thereby depriving nearly one lakh students to abandon their education. He also sought to know whether it is a fact that the state government has closed down 2,825 schools in 2015 in the name of clusterisation or rationalization or consolidation.

Replying to the question, minister of state (HRD) Upendra Kushwaha said that the AP government reported that that no orders have been given to close any primary or upper primary schools. Also, no school was closed in the state in 2015, he said. The minister, however, replied that a positive consolidation of 1434 Primary Schools, with student enrolment of less than 30 students, was undertaken by the state government with a view to establish "Adarsha Pradhamika Paatasala" (Model Primary Schools) to strengthen primary education and for optimum utilization of resources. This

exercise was undertaken keeping in mind the norms specified under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, he added.