Vijayawada: HRD and IT minister Nara Lokesh on Monday said his goal is to see ‘No Admissions’ boards outside govt schools across Andhra Pradesh, signalling full enrolment. He noted that 100 schools have already achieved this milestone in the current academic year, and the govt aims to replicate this across all 42,000-plus govt schools.

Responding to a question by Narsaraopet MLA Chadalavada Aravind Babu, Lokesh said that GO 117 and GO 85 — issued by the previous govt — had harmed primary education and were annulled by the NDA govt. He said the coalition introduced the ‘One Class – One Teacher’ system to restore quality.

Lokesh stated that nearly 10 lakh poor students had exited govt schools due to earlier policies. During his padayatra, teachers urged him to scrap GO 117. “We held 33 meetings, annulled GO 117, and expanded the ‘One Class – One Teacher’ model from 1,398 schools to 9,620. Upper primary schools have also increased from 124 to 729,” he said.

He added that the govt aims to make public education a national model. Under the Mana Badi–Mana Bhavishyathu programme, proposals for new classrooms and facilities are underway. An online portal has been launched for transparent school development, with donor contributions overseen by school management committees. Schools may be named after donors, and a star-rating system has been introduced, with legislators tasked to upgrade one-star and two-star schools.

Lokesh said the govt is focusing on attendance, exams, performance, and learning outcomes. “We will make govt schools better than private ones. An amount of Rs 600 per month is being deposited into parents’ accounts for students whose schools are over 1 km away. Nearly 70,000 students will benefit this year,” he added.