Following the State government’s decision to close down the Success Schools that have below 50 strength, District Educational Officer S.Viswanatha Rao has issued directions to all the headmasters asking them to close down 86 schools out of 312 in district.
The erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government had introduced the Success Schools with a motto to provide English medium education to students studying in government schools in 2008.
The DEO said that the State government had asked them to merge the schools having less than 50 strength with another school located nearby.
Following the decision, the teachers teaching at the Success Schools said that many students were switching to Telugu medium since the clubbed Success Schools were located 5 to 15 km away from their village. Teacher from a closed Success School, located at Lakshmapuram village of Ramannapet mandal, Basavaraju Yadagiri, told The Hindu that they were having 30 students in their school whom the government asked to transfer to another school located 15 km away in Ramannapet. Since it would not be possible to travel such a long distance, Mr.Yadagiri said that they have decided switch in to Telugu medium.
It is not only the story of Lakshmapuram, the students from all the schools that were close down had similar story to share.
Without constructing any civil structures and appointing any qualified English medium teachers, the State government had introduced the system without much preparation.
The parents and teachers urged the State government to appoint teachers capable of teaching in English medium to strengthen the Success Schools to attract the admissions since many students have been joining private schools only for English medium.
