It's mother's rule in Andhra schools!

Now on, it will be mother's rule in all schools of Andhra Pradesh.

Mothers will monitor attendance, mothers will see to sanitation and maintenance, mothers will even shoulder the bookkeeping of government grants -- in fact, mothers will be as integral a part of the educational system as the students themselves!

A new programme which the government has launched in the state, this mothering hopes to rein in the rising number of school dropouts as also return many such to the educational fold. Accordingly, the government proposes to set up Mother's Committees in all schools which would monitor educational activities through a full-time volunteer. These committees will have a two year tenure.

The educational reforms recommended by the Yashpal Committee had provided for parents' representation in the management and administration of schools.

The back-to-school concept launched in a new format by Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu had not been really effective -- officials had soon enough realised they did not have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the nearly 350,000 dropouts in the state.

The new scheme has also revived midday meals to encourage Naidu's programme. It will bring under its fold 1,000 mandals, covering nearly 7.24 million students.

Further, the government has liberalised permissions for higher secondary and degree colleges to come up in the private sector.

Now, everything depends on the mothers!