Andhra Pradesh gears up for mega PTM with record participation on July 10

Amaravati, July 7 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh is gearing up for a Mega Parent-Teacher meeting with a record 2,28,21,454 participants expected across 61,135 educational institutions.

The state government termed the Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting 2.0, scheduled on July 10, a unique initiative to strengthen the school-parent relationship. It claimed that for the first time in India, PTM will be held simultaneously across all government and private schools.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son, Education Minister Nara Lokesh, would be physically participating in the programme at Puttaparthy.

Lokesh believes that progress in any sector depends on inclusive stakeholder participation. Determined to position Andhra Pradesh’s education model as a national benchmark, the government has embraced reform, resolution and radical inclusion, he said.

As a first step towards community-driven schooling, the first edition of Mega PTM was successfully conducted on December 7, 2024, reaching every corner of the state and creating a new culture of collaboration in education. PTM has been designed as a platform to bring parents closer to schools and create collective accountability in children’s learning journeys.

The first edition of PTM witnessed participation from 25.46 lakh parents, 27,395 alumni, 22,200 donors and 36,918 elected public representatives at 44,956 schools.

The government has now extended Mega PTM 2.0 to private aided and unaided institutions as well.

The School Education Department issued orders for PTM across all government, aided, unaided and junior colleges on July 10. The event is expected to witness participation from 74,96,228 students, 3,32,770 teachers, 1,49,92,456 parents, donors and stakeholders.

A total of 2,28,21,454 participants are expected across 61,135 institutions.

Preparations are in full swing for the event. Senior officials, including Kona Sasidhar (Secretary, School Education), Vijay Rama Raju V. (Director, School Education), Kritika Shukla (Director, Intermediate Education), and B. Srinivasa Rao (SPD, Samagra Shiksha), are monitoring the execution through video conferences.

The government said this initiative aims to enable holistic community participation in education as recommended by the Right to Education Act, 2009 (RTE) and the National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP).

PTM is expected to strengthen trust between parents, teachers, and school communities. Parents get insights into their children’s academic progress, behaviour, and social development, while teachers gain cooperation to support learning at home.

Teachers will present holistic progress Cards to parents -- offering a 360-degree view of each child’s academic journey. At public meetings led by headmasters, schools will present their performance, infrastructure needs and action plans.

Fun activities and games will build camaraderie among parents and deepen their emotional engagement. Success stories of students and schools will be celebrated and showcased.

Mega PTM 2.0 will also include family photo booths, positive parenting sessions, and a special activity: “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” -- planting a sapling in the mother’s name. Students will receive a Green Passport to track the growth and nurturing of these trees. Students can register and receive saplings through the ‘LEAP App’.

--IANS

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