Andhra Education Minister Lokesh Says He Chose Education to Drive Social Change, Calls for Focus on Learning Outcomes

Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh on Wednesday said he deliberately chose the education portfolio, one of the most challenging government departments, because he believes education is the most effective tool for bringing positive change in society.

Addressing teachers and students after inaugurating newly constructed buildings at the Zilla Parishad High School in Kokkiligadda village of Mopidevi mandal, he said changing the education system is a challenge he has willingly accepted and that success can only be achieved through the collective efforts of teachers, parents, and officials.

Mr. Lokesh inaugurated school buildings built at a cost of ₹1.4 crore with donor support under the P4 programme. Interacting with teachers, he said the government had completed major reforms in education over the last two years and that focus should now shift to improving learning outcomes and academic performance. He noted that while the government has strengthened school facilities across the state, the responsibility of improving student achievement now rests with teachers.

The minister said significant improvements have been made in school facilities and buildings. 'The hardware has improved; now we need to improve the software, which means learning outcomes,' he said, adding that all essential facilities except a library and computer laboratory had been provided to the Kokkiligadda High School. He urged teachers to closely monitor formative and summative assessment results, identify students lagging behind in specific subjects, and provide targeted support. The government would supply bridge-course material to help such students improve, he said, and called upon teachers to work towards achieving 100% pass results.

Mr. Lokesh said that for the first time, the government had issued newspaper advertisements featuring meritorious students from government schools, giving them public recognition. He also informed them that any problems related to school administration or teaching could be communicated directly to him through the LEAP App, without having to approach Mandal or District Education Officers.

The minister announced that statewide parent-teacher meetings are planned for July 16, 17, and 18 and urged teachers to motivate parents to download and use the LEAP App. He stressed that his vision of creating an 'AP Model of Education' can only be realised through teamwork.

Teachers informed the minister that initiatives such as the 100-Day Action Plan and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) programme were producing encouraging results. Mr. Lokesh said the long-term objective should be to ensure that students become academically strong enough not to require such interventions. He also noted the social challenges faced by girls who fail Class 10 examinations and urged teachers to pay special attention to their progress.