Andhra Pradesh State Project Director of Samagra Shiksha wing of the School Education Department B. Srinivasa Rao on March 8 (Friday) assured members of a delegation from the International Baccalaureate (IB) that the department would extend all support for integration of the IB curriculum with the State education system.
Addressing a review meeting at the end of a 10-day visit by a team of IB delegates, Mr. Rao said the government was formulating education policies that aligned with international standards to groom students into global citizens.
A.P. State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Director B. Pratap Reddy said the State would strictly abide by the suggestions and proposals put forth by the IB team members for effective results.
He said, to ensure quality education, the government had ushered in novel initiatives such as introduction of bilingual textbooks to facilitate smooth transition of students from Telugu to English medium, installation of Interactive Flat Panels in classrooms, distribution of tabs to students, installation of smart TVs and coaching in TOEFL, the school restructure programme, Mana Badi Nadu-Nedu, and Jagananna Gorumudda, among others.
The IB team members appreciated the State’s efforts to provide students access to latest technology and its use in education for best results. They also had a word of praise for the series of initiatives put in place to help children grasp the global standards.
The IB team comprised Senior Manager of Curriculum Design from Mexico Aldo Anzures Tapia, Personal Development Specialist from England Eric Baber, Curriculum Specialist Allen, Associate Manager, Assessment Operations Transformation, England, Michael Donovan, and Senior Manager, England, from India Kala Parasurama, among others.
Strengthening STEM
To strengthen the foundation in key subjects such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the Samagra Shiksha wing signed a non-financial Memorandum of Understand with NGOs such as Connect to Andhra, Save the Children (Bala Raksha Bharat) and Agastya Foundation, said Mr. Rao.
He said the collaboration was aimed at equipping students coming from rural backgrounds with a strong foundation in the key subjects that would help them navigate their academic journey with ease in future.
