The Andhra Pradesh government is working towards improving the education sector in the state by allocating 16 per cent of the state budget, informed Education Minister Audimulapu Suresh on Thursday, March 31. The minister was speaking at the inauguration of the new classrooms constructed in MK Baig Municipal High School, Singh Nagar in Vijayawada.

Suresh said that around Rs 1.50 crore was spent on constructing additional classrooms in MK Baig Municipal High School, which has a long history of five decades. "It is unfortunate that the previous government did not provide even the minimum facilities to the high school," he said. Suresh also spoke about the survey conducted by the education department which revealed that the student dropout rate has increased in the past due to a lack of toilet facilities. However, now, students are queuing up to enroll themselves in government schools because of the facilities provided under the Nadu-Nedu programme, he said.

The allocation of 16 per cent to education in the state budget is in line with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's view that poverty should not be an obstacle to the education of students. Suresh also added that around Rs 1 lakh crore had been allotted to education in the past three years, making it a priority for the government.