BRS Working President KTR has expressed significant concern over the Congress government’s “severe neglect” of school education in the state. He stated on Saturday that this neglect has been pushing poor and middle-class students away from education. “Reports suggest that the government is attempting to close around 1,864 schools this year, citing a lack of students,” KTR said.
Criticism of School Closures and Declining Admissions
KTR criticized the government for considering “closing schools instead of strengthening public schools and providing quality education to poor and middle-class students.” He noted that in 2024, admissions in government schools decreased by about 2.4 lakhs compared to the previous year, which he views as a troubling indicator for the state’s education sector. According to KTR, the Congress government has thrown the public education system into disarray within just eight months.
Addressing the Decline in Enrollment
KTR argued that the government should identify and address the reasons for the “declining” enrollment in public schools rather than remaining inactive. He attributed the decrease in admissions to a shortage of teachers relative to the number of students, alleging that around 25,000 teacher posts are vacant in the state. He called for these positions to be filled immediately.
Infrastructure and Safety Concerns
Further criticism was directed at the government’s approach, which KTR claimed has created more problems than solutions. He mentioned that closing schools due to a lack of students and redeploying teachers has led to many students being unable to access public education. Additionally, he highlighted issues such as inadequate infrastructure, failure to provide quality food, and poor hygiene and safety conditions in schools and welfare hostels, which make parents hesitant to enroll their children in government schools.
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Recent Incidents and Criticism
Referring to recent incidents, including issues in Gurukul schools, poisoned food in hostels, unsafe conditions, and school closures, KTR expressed concern about the negative impact on Telangana. He accused the Revanth Reddy government of making excuses to avoid its responsibility of providing quality education to poor and middle-class students.
Comparison with KCR’s Tenure
KTR reminded that during KCR’s ten-year rule, numerous programs were implemented to promote education. He highlighted initiatives such as establishing over a thousand Gurukul schools, providing quality food including fine rice in government hostels, introducing English medium instruction in government schools, and allocating about Rs 7,289 crores for infrastructure development under the “Mana Ooru – Mana Badi” program. He also mentioned the use of CSR funds for constructing permanent school buildings and the introduction of a breakfast scheme to reduce dropouts.
Call for Action and Potential Protests
KTR urged the Congress government to build upon the foundation laid by KCR rather than neglecting it. He questioned whether the Revanth Reddy government is deliberately creating problems in public schools to justify closures. He criticized the Chief Minister’s apparent lack of awareness about the education system and pointed out that the state does not even have an Education Minister.
KTR called on the Chief Minister to address this crucial issue immediately, appoint an Education Minister, and form a committee of education experts and ministers to suggest measures for strengthening public education. He warned that if the government does not address these issues promptly, the BRS will launch large-scale protests. KTR emphasized that they will not tolerate any attempts to distance poor and middle-class students from public education, and he stated that parents who depend on government education will hold the government accountable if injustice is done to their children.
(WITH INPUTS FROM ANI)
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