Jagan Launches Manabadi "Naadu-Nedu", Defends English Medium

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy declared today that his government was taking the first steps towards changing the course of history of the State's schools, with the "Manabadi Nadu-Nedu' program.

Speaking at a public meeting organized on the occasion of the launch of the program at the PVR Boys' School grounds in Ongole, Jagan said that the 3-year program to be implemented in a phased manner across schools in the State, aimed at transforming government schools into vibrant and competitive institutions.

He added that his government would overcome all the challenges to the program as the goal was to meet the requirements that a world grappling with ever-changing technology would have from the youth ten years from now.

The Chief Minister said that despite the criticism from its detractors, his government would go ahead with English medium schools it had to prepare the students to boldly face and stand up to the requirements of the technology-driven world.

"Change will come only if the right decision is taken at the right time. We are preparing our children and youth to compete for jobs that will be there five, ten or fifteen years from now," he said.

The Chief Minister said that problems were bound to arise with the introduction of the English medium from grades one to six. However, bridge courses would be set up to overcome them.

"We will also train the teachers. The children will struggle for one or two years and then they will flourish in the English medium. We will spend Rs 3,500 crore on schools every year and change the face of the 45,000 government schools across the State in the near future with the Rs 12,000 crores spent," he said. "As part of the first installment, we will start with 15,700 schools in the first phase, and by June 2020, we will have all the facilities in these schools," he said.

"We will transform all government schools by providing them the required infrastructure and the upgradation of skills, in addition to providing basic amenities like clean environs, furniture, toilets, running water, compound walls and blackboards. We will also set up English labs to help with the transition," he added.

"There has been criticism and detractors have been running a campaign targeting me, but we will carry on our mission relentlessly as the future of the next generation is our top priority," he vowed. "Those leaders who are making all the adverse comments should let us know if they are sending their children and grandchildren to government schools or to English medium schools. They do not practice what they preach. The weaker sections and the underprivileged should not be deprived of opportunities."

"During my 3,648 km padayatra, I have seen families pouring out their woes about how their children were being left behind. This was a conscious decision taken after due consideration and visualizing what our future generation requires in the new age of artificial intelligence and robotics," he said.