The year 2025 has marked a steep decline in Andhra Pradesh’s education sector. What was once a nationally recognised reform-driven model under former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been steadily dismantled under Education Minister Nara Lokesh. Progressive policies, welfare-driven schemes, and student-centric reforms have either been stalled, diluted, or scrapped, pushing lakhs of students into uncertainty. Instead of strengthening public education, the present government has presided over a phase of regression that threatens access, equity, and quality.
Promises made & abandoned
The coalition government came to power promising sweeping reforms in education. It pledged to review the KG–PG syllabus, reopen schools closed under GO 117, restore fee reimbursement, revive overseas education support, and protect student welfare. None of these assurances have materialised. Instead:
- Schools continue to shut down under revised guidelines.
- Over 4 lakh students have disappeared from government schools within a year.
- The promised review of the curriculum remains on paper.
- The revival of the Dr. Ambedkar Overseas Education Scheme was abandoned despite its proven success under the previous government.
Under YS Jagan’s tenure, Rs. 107.07 crore was provided to 408 students who secured admissions in top global universities. The scheme was halted soon after the change of government.
Fee reimbursement frozen
One of the gravest failures has been the collapse of fee reimbursement and hostel assistance.
- For the last 18 months, both Fee Reimbursement and Vasathi Deevena have remained largely unpaid.
- By December 2025, arrears touched alarming levels:
- Rs. 4,900 crore – Fee Reimbursement
- Rs. 2,200 crore – Vasathi Deevena
- Total pending: Rs. 7,100 crore
Earlier, under YSRCP, funds were released quarterly without delay. Today, students are forced to borrow, drop out, or abandon higher education altogether.
Falling enrolment
Government school enrolment has seen a sharp fall:
- 2024: 37.10 lakh students
- 2025: 32.46 lakh students
- Drop of 4.64 lakh students in a single year
Parents are steadily losing faith in public education due to policy confusion, school closures, and declining standards. Many are shifting children to private schools despite rising fees.
Collapse of school infrastructure
Several flagship initiatives have been quietly dismantled:
- Nadu–Nedu infrastructure works stalled
- English-medium education diluted
- TOEFL and IB-linked programmes discontinued
- Free tablets for Class 8 students withdrawn
- Digital classrooms abandoned
- Subject-teacher system weakened
- Foreign education assistance frozen
Even basic facilities have deteriorated. Children are forced to carry food from home due to poor meal quality. The once-celebrated Gorumudda programme has lost credibility.
Hostels turn unsafe and inhuman
Residential schools and hostels are facing alarming conditions:
- Contaminated drinking water
- Unhygienic food
- Overcrowding
- Lack of supervision
During the last 18 months alone, 29 student deaths have been reported across hostels. Instead of corrective action, neglect has become routine.
Disturbing rise in crimes against children
Several disturbing incidents involving school and hostel-going children were reported across the state:
- Sexual assaults, attempted rapes, and abuse involving minors
- Accused linked to ruling-party functionaries in multiple cases
- Delays in FIRs and attempts at compromise
- Police action often initiated only after public outrage
From Konaseema and West Godavari to Kakinada, Tirupati, Chittoor, and Alluri districts, the safety net meant to protect children has visibly weakened.
Chaos in teacher recruitment (DSC)
The much-publicised DSC recruitment turned into a controversy:
- Arbitrary increase in qualifying marks
- Errors in question papers
- Merit lists not published transparently
- Candidates with lower scores receiving call letters
- High Court directions ignored
- Aspirants denied the right to choose posts
Instead of accountability, the government responded with political defensiveness.
Administrative breakdown in 2025
Key developments that exposed systemic collapse:
- Closure and merger of thousands of primary schools under new guidelines
- Over 12,000 single-teacher schools at risk
- More than 15,000 teaching posts likely to remain vacant
- Teachers burdened with non-academic work
- Poor-quality school bags and supplies
- Anganwadi centres lacking basic medical kits
- Assaults on Anganwadi workers and helpers
- High Court intervention sought over failure to provide basic facilities
What was built, dismantled
Under Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, education witnessed historic investment and reform:
- Amma Vodi
- Vidya Kanuka
- Nadu–Nedu school transformation
- Gorumudda nutrition programme
- Vidya Deevena & Vasathi Deevena
- English-medium education
- Digital classrooms and tablets
- Subject-teacher system
- Overseas Education Scheme
- Kalyanamasthu & Shaadi Tohfa
Total investment in education reforms crossed Rs.72,900 crore, benefiting crores of students.
A clear verdict emerging
Despite attempts to dilute reforms, public preference remains clear. Surveys and national reports show that over 90% of parents prefer English-medium education, validating the vision pursued earlier. Parents recognise that English proficiency opens global opportunities, and that structured welfare-backed education ensures dignity and access.The systematic rollback of these reforms has pushed Andhra Pradesh’s education sector into uncertainty. What was once a model of inclusive governance is now marked by neglect, confusion, and regression.
