AP UP Schools Rationalization Guidelines: As per the RTE, 2009 and RMSA norms, access is to be provided for Class I to X for all children including Out of School Children duly providing qualitative elementary and secondary education. There is a need to achieve effective enrolment, retention and age-specific transition.
This requires action to be taken on various fronts including provisioning of schools keeping in view the distance norms, implementation of CCE, ensuring proper academic standards and Teacher Accountability as prescribed under the state under AP RTE, 2010, etc.
There are 4720 Upper Primary Schools and 4998 High Schools providing Upper Primary stage education for Classes VI to VII/VIII, with enrolment of 3,12,813 and 15,58,000 respectively. The Committee observed that as per the study of the provision of schools in the catchment area in the state, on an average, there is a High school for every village/Habitation within about 2.8 k.m from a habitation. There may be about 10% exceptions for this distance based provisioning.
The Upper Primary Schools are functioning upto Class I to VII and Class I to VIII in some cases. For Classes VI to VIII one (1) teacher is teaching two (2) subjects t.e., one teacher teaching science and Maths and one teacher teaching Social Science and English apart from Language Pandits. However, from practical point of view, the science teacher cannot teach mathematics effectively and vice versa.
Keeping the above observations in view, the following recommendations arc made by the Committee.
AP UP Schools Rationalization Guidelines:
i) To ensure good quality of education to the Students a Two Tier System of Schools i.e., Primary School and High School may be implemented.
ii) The RTE norm is 3 KM radius for Upper Primary School and 5 KM radius for High School. Thus wherever a High School is available within 3 KM radius from the existing UP school point, the Upper Primary classes shall be consolidated with the nearby High School. Required subject teacher or SGT qualified may be provided as per the recommended norms.
iii) Elementary cycle Upper Primary Schools having VI to VIII classes with enrollment 60 and above can be straight away upgraded into a full fledged High School fromn 2016-17 year onwards by opening classes IX & X classes.The staff pattern will be that of High School as per Table-III-A.
iv) Similarly Upper Primary School having VI & VII classes with enrollment 50 and above can be straight away upgraded into a full-fledged HS from 2016-17 onwards by opening VIII, IX and X classes. The staff pattern will be that of High School as per Table-Ill-A.
v) (a) The Upper Primary Schools VI & VII and VI to VIII Classes which are running less than <40 and < 50 respectively may be downgraded as Primary School and the students may be accommodated in the nearby High Schools.
vi) However, exceptions may be given in Tribunal areas / natural barriers, mountains, lakes etc.,
vii) Transport facility may be provided if the distance is beyond a 3 Km radius.
viii) On downgrading a UP School, if the strength of such a Primary School is 100 and above, it shall be treated as Model Primary Schools.
ix) The Primary School Head Master posts/persons are to be adjusted in the Model Primary Schools as per need.
x) Recommended Staff Pattern for Upper Primary Schools that will continue as an exception to Upgradation/ Downgradation is at Table II-A (VI and VII Classes) & II B (VI, VII and VIII Classes).