Andhra Minister Blames Previous Regime for Poor Learning Outcomes in ASER 2024

Andhra Pradesh's Minister for IT and Human Resources Development, N. Lokesh, has strongly criticized the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government, led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, for what he termed the "ruining" of the state's public education system. His remarks came in response to the findings of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, released on January 28, 2025.

The ASER 2024 report highlighted significant learning gaps in rural schools across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. A key finding revealed that only 56% of Class 8 students in both states could read a Class 2-level Telugu text, pointing to a broader national trend of weak literacy and numeracy skills among students.

In a post on X, Minister Lokesh contended that the previous administration spent heavily on publicity rather than on improving educational standards. He alleged that arbitrary government orders under the YSRCP rule led to the closure of numerous schools, a decline in educational quality, and a lack of basic amenities such as drinking water and toilets. He also noted a drastic fall in student attendance and claimed that teachers' concerns were completely overlooked.

Contrasting the current situation with the past, Lokesh asserted that public schools were in a much better state during the Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) earlier tenure, with superior educational standards, better infrastructure, and more encouragement for sports and extracurricular activities.

Highlighting the efforts of the current administration over the past seven months, the Minister stated that steps have been taken to strengthen the public education system. The focus is on gathering accurate student data, designing a curriculum that meets emerging needs, providing value-based education, resolving teacher issues, and improving school infrastructure.

Lokesh announced the government's intention to introduce an "Andhra Pradesh Model of School Education" through radical changes. He stated that feedback will be sought from the public and education experts to shape this new model.