Andhra Pradesh: Admissions in schools to start today

Guntur: Admissions into schools in the State for the academic year 2020-21 will start on Monday even as Covid-19 cases are continuously increasing in the State. The admission process will continue till September 4.

Various guidelines issued by the Education Department like admissions to be made without children going to the schools are very interesting. Only parents have to go the schools for the admission of their child.

The School Education Commissioner Vodarevu China Veerabhadrudu released alternative academic calendar and instructed officials to implement it. There are 40,000 government schools in the State. Admissions will start in private schools also.

According to orders issued by the government, the students seeking admissions need not go to school. Parents should go to school and submit necessary certificates. Aadhaar card is enough for admission into the government school.

Admissions are expected to increase in the government schools during this academic year. The government has taken steps to renovate the government schools under Mana Badi-Naadu-Nedu scheme and extending financial assistance to mothers under Amma Vodi scheme. It has also been distributing school kits at free of cost to the students.

Due to Covid -19, lakhs of parents lost jobs/livelihood and have been facing severe financial problems. Some of them may admit their children in the government schools. The schools may face problems to convince the parents on maintenance of physical distance.

Most private schools are run in small rooms and many corporate schools are in apartments. Without proper ventilation and space, it will be very difficult to maintain physical distance and it a big worry to the parents about safety of kid.

Corporate and private school teachers conducted a campaign in February and March to admit the students for the new academic year. The school managements ignoring the orders of the government collected fee and conducting online classes for the last three months.

Guntur, Krishna Districts Graduates constituency MLC K S Lakshmna Rao said he had welcomed the decision of the government to go for admissions for the new academic year. If admissions are completed, the teachers may start online or offline classes for students.

The online classes are likely to begin first for students of eighth, ninth and tenth classes. Prior to this, the State government teachers will conduct a survey on availability of smart phones with parents.

Municipal Teachers' Federation State president S Rama Krishna said, "Aadhaar card is enough to admit a student in the school. The student need not go to school for admission. However, there is a need to check bogus admissions in the government and aided schools to check misuse of mid-day meals and students kits given by the government."

A parent S Sai Krishna said, "If quality of education is good, the parents will admit their children in the government schools. I studied in the ZPHS. Need to improve quality of education in the government schools."