AP Students to Get a ‘LEAP’ in Education with New Learning Reform

The Andhra Pradesh government is gearing up to launch the Learning Excellence in Andhra Pradesh (LEAP) programme for students of Classes I to X from the 2025-26 academic year, ushering in a new era of education reform.

Prompted by concerning findings in the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, Education Minister Nara Lokeshan announced LEAP as a comprehensive response to uplift the quality of education and transform state-run schools by 2029. The initiative is rooted in an outcome-driven approach, with a strong emphasis on foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), play-based learning, digital literacy, and 21st-century life skills. It also seeks to integrate cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence into the curriculum to prepare students for the future.

The pilot phase of LEAP will roll out at Nidamarru School in Mangalagiri constituency this year. A wider state-wide rollout is planned for June 2025, following the summer break. Local MLAs, District Education Officers (DEOs), and district collectors will work together to identify schools for implementation. Funding support will come from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions and private donors.

“This project will not only enhance the quality of education but also place Andhra Pradesh on par with the leading educational states in India,” said a senior DEO, speaking to Education Times on condition of anonymity.

Why LEAP is Needed

The ASER 2024 report paints a grim picture of Andhra Pradesh’s school system. Government school enrollment has dropped by 61.8%, with a 9 percentage point decline between 2022 and 2024 alone. Academic performance has also suffered—81.1% of Class II students couldn’t perform basic subtraction, and only 56% of Class VIII students could read a Class II-level Telugu text.

The Rayalaseema region was especially impacted, where just 24.6% of students in Classes III to V were found to be reading at grade-appropriate levels. The report also highlighted issues like a growing digital divide, limited access to functional toilets, electricity, libraries, and drinking water, and the lack of basic digital skills among children.

LEAP aims to reverse this decline with specific and measurable targets. At the primary and secondary levels, 80% of students are expected to reach grade-level competencies and earn a four-star rating or higher. Another major goal is to re-enroll 95% of school dropouts while boosting public school admissions.

Infrastructure upgrades will include Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) designs and print-rich classrooms across all pre-primary and primary schools. Teachers will undergo intensive training sessions to adapt to modern teaching tools and integrate digital technologies into everyday instruction.

A senior government official confirmed that LEAP’s curriculum will align closely with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, going beyond traditional academic learning. It will feature opportunities for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and promote the creation of innovation clusters in schools.

The curriculum will also be job-oriented, ensuring that students develop relevant skills for tomorrow’s industries. To support academic transitions, bridge courses will be provided for students entering Class VI and IX, and summer learning packets—complete with assessments and assignments—will be made available for Classes VI to VIII.

A dedicated LEAP mobile app is currently being tested to collect feedback from education officers and school heads. This feedback will guide further development of the platform before its state-wide launch.

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