Intermediate Education enters golden jubilee year

Tirupati: The Intermediate Education which forms the mainstay in education and career building has entered its golden jubilee year. The entire department has been gearing up to celebrate the occasion in a fitting manner.

It was in 1969-70, the two-year intermediate education was started in the state during the term of PV Narasimha Rao as an Education Minister of AP. Till then there was a system of PUC, Higher Secondary and Multipurpose Schools. On the recommendations of Kothari Commission on education system for 10+2+3, the then government held a conference with eminent educationists and vice-chancellors.

Based on its recommendations, Intermediate Education was started, and the GO was issued on October 25, 1968. Subsequently, the Board of Intermediate Education was established in 1971 to regulate and supervise the system of pre-university education.

Since then, the Intermediate education has grown out of proportions and became a landmark in students’ career from where they take different directions to secure their bright futures. In all national entrance examinations, Intermediate passed outs were excelling every year and securing many top ranks.

Recently, the government has introduced mid-day meal scheme for government junior college students through which the student attendance was improving well and the enrolment also may go up from next year.

About 10 lakh students are pursuing Intermediate education in private and government junior colleges across the state. Government students alone accounts for two lakh which clearly shows that private managements play a dominant role in the Intermediate education.

This can be further established by the fact that there are only 447 government junior colleges as against 2,000 plus private/corporate junior colleges. The point of concern was there were as many as 3,000 teaching staff vacancies in government junior colleges for several years and the contract lecturers were engaged to fill the gap which were outnumbered than the present regular staff of about 1,800.

And even these contract faculty were not being recruited since 2013. Many colleges were not having regular principals and these areas pose real threat before the government and Commissionerate of Intermediate Education. Apart from these, there are several other areas which the government has to focus and strengthen the Intermediate education in public sector.

Government Junior Lecturers Association (GJLA) has been demanding to introduce English medium in all government junior colleges, as there was maximum demand for it. There was also a demand for introduction of free education up to Intermediate level which can result in large enrolment of students.

APGJLA General Secretary V Ravi has said that they are going to organise a workshop to discuss various aspects of the 50 years of Intermediate education. “We feel proud to work at this crucial juncture and planned to obtain the opinions of all faculty in further strengthening Government Junior Colleges. The Commissioner has given the permission for this which will be held very soon and submit all our suggestions to the government,” he averred.

By Vennelakanti Pradeep