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The Azim Premji Foundation (APF) will work with the Government of Andhra Pradesh and other leading NGOs for universalisation of elementary education in the State. 

Mr. Azim Premji of WIPRO and the members of the Foundation  met the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu and had hour long discussions with him on this issue. Azim Premji foundation was set up in 2000 to focus on universalisation of elementary education in the country. As a beginning it will work in the states with progressive leadership like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. 

The A.P.F will work closely with the State Government with an initiative to supplement and not substitute or replace the Government efforts. The focus will be on support for community mobilization and not for infrastructure and on using IT creatively to further the cause of universalisaiton of elementary education. Its aim is to achieve this in AP by a mutually agreeable time-frame. 

The APF proposal for Andhra Pradesh includes creating models which are contextual and which have the capacity for replication/scaling up on a state-wide basis using local initiative. Mobilization process have already begun in 10 mandals in the State. The APF also will coordinate with NGOs and other organizations. The model will recognize child labour as a major impediment to universalising elementary education. The approach will be based on consensus and efforts will be made towards handing over the initiative entirely to local communities later.

Once the mandals are identified, the programme will start with the process of surveying children in the age group of 5 to 14. Major participants will be local youth organizations. The programme will simultaneously deal with children in the entire age group of 5 to 14. Different strategies will be used for different age groups. The programme will adopt special strategies for girls and bonded labour.

The programme recognizes the need to develop community interest in schools and hence strengthen the role of community in managing the schools. It will harness the existing school education committees and other groups.

The IT will be explored for attraction, retention and improvement of learning in the school based on which a pilot project will be started in schools. It would also establish community learning centers for usage of IT in education. The APF may tie up with other agencies to develop this programme.

Mr. Premji hailed the Chief Minister for the priorities he has given to education in the State. A joint programme with the APF for universalizing education in 10 mandals as a pilot project will be announced soon. An MoU declaring the launch of the joint efforts is likely to be signed soon.

The Chief Minister while thanking Mr. Premji and his Foundation for taking up a noble cause requested him to make Andhra Pradesh as a model project for the rest of the country. He explained that the State Government has been giving the top most priority for education and health. Mr. Naidu said the KU Band, MEASAT and the increased bandwidth being laid by Reliance would be used for distant education and universalizing elementary education in the State.

The Chief Minister assured Mr. Premji total support from the State Government in the efforts of the APF in universalizing elementary education and sought their help in achieving total literacy in the State. Mr Naidu said the State government is giving top priority for elimination of child labour and promoting girls education.

School Education Minister, K. Srihari; Secretary, School Education, I.V. Subba Rao; C.E.O, State Literacy Mission, Nagarjuna and other officials attended the meeting.

-November '00

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