Andhra Pradesh government on Monday appointed a high level committee with ‘experts’ under the chairmanship of state HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao to advise the state in taking up educational reforms for enhanced quality in elementary and secondary education.
The experts include a prominent spiritual preacher, a hypnotist and a motivational speaker. And it is for the first time that a spiritual preacher, hypnotist and motivational speaker are considered experts by the education department to guide the department in improving the quality of the education. Except KI Varaprasada Reddy of Shanta Biotechnics, who studied engineering, computer science and business management, none of the committee members including the minister , under any stretch of imagination, fall in the category of experts.
The ‘Expert Committee’ will provide strategic and policy advice and guidance to the Government in designing and implementing the education reforms for enhancement of quality in school education.
The Committee :
1 Minister for Human Resource Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh : Chairman ,
2 Commissioner &Director of School Education, A.P. Hyderabad : Member Secretary ,
3 Bramhasree Sri Chaganti Koteswara Rao, Prominent Reader of Spiritual Pravachanams : Member
4 B.V. Pattabhiram, Familiar Hypnotherapist and Personality Developer : Member
5 Dr. N.V. Warlu, Leading Motivational Speaker : Member
6 K.I.Varaprasad Reddy, Founder Chairman & M.D. Santha Biotechnics : Member
The expert committee will advise the state government on 22 aspects such as:
1. Provide advice on Global best practices and experiences in the implementation of education reforms for enhanced quality in elementary and secondary education in the State of Andhra Pradesh;
2.Advise and support the Minister of HRD on improved management of Schools, undertaking learning and teaching initiatives, enhancing academic outcomes, programs and courses, and educational partnerships.
3. To suggest measures for faster reduction in illiteracy in the state with emphasis on gender, regional and social dimensions and also incentivizing state with high literacy rates to achieve 100% literacy.
4. Recommend strategies for extensive use of Information Technology in all areas of school education management.
If one studies the terms of reference prescribed for the Expert Committee, one perforce get a doubt whether the expert committee is appointed to guide the government or honor the friends of somebody in the government. Because no name of any educational expert figures in the list. Can anybody ignore the name of Prof Jandhyla Balagangadhara Tilak, an internationally renowned expert in education and educational economics from Andhra Pradesh. Prof Tilak who hails from East Godavari district and is a committed expert for quality and equality in education. The committee is likely to attract criticism from the experts from the field of school education.
