Finally, KG-to-PG edn to take wings

​Hyderabad: The State government has remained steadfast in implementing its flagship programme KG-to-PG education in last four years adopting a multi-layered strategy.

According to sources in the Education department, the government, overcoming the initial hurdles after the formation of the State, stepped up efforts to lay a foundation to make school and college education accessible to the needy and backward sections of the State.

Speaking to The Hans India, senior official in the school education department said that there were about 259 residential schools existing in the State prior to the formation of Telangana. However, within three years of State’s formation, steps have been taken to add 522 more residential schools.

“Mainly these schools are to make education accessible to SC, ST and BC sections of the State,” the official added.

The strategy for implementing the programme is to increase the number of educational institutions where the accessibility is most needed. For which, the mapping has already been done.

For example, out of 120 residential schools proposed for minorities, 60 are meant to provide accessibility to girl students from the minorities. Similarly, of the 180 residential schools meant for SC and STs, 50 schools are earmarked for STs. Coming to the pass percentage, students from the residential schools and Gurukul schools in SSC and Intermediate have scored more than students from private schools.

Further, the State government had taken a decision to fill 2,444 vacant posts in the residential schools. This is in addition to regularising the services of about 758 teachers working on contract basis in residential schools.

As per the plan, the State government is moving ahead to establish about 1,190 residential schools across the State, with a minimum number of 10 institutes in each constituency. This is to extend free education to poor and marginalised sections of the society up to 12th standard.

Stepping up to the next level, the State government had already given directions to acquire lands for setting new degree colleges in different places in the State.

Towards this end, the State government has already taken steps to establish 17 new degree colleges and priority is also given to establish one residential degree college for girls in each of the erstwhile 10 districts. And, the State government has eased the norms to make the fee reimbursement scheme to benefit the students mostly studying in professional colleges. However, it also decided to ensure quality education is not compromised. Hence, steps have been taken to streamline the affiliation process of several colleges.

Further, steps have been taken to improve the delivery of services in the SC, ST and BC study circles to help students prepare for UPSC, TSPSC and other competitive examinations.

This apart, the Overseas Scholarship Schemes (OSS) extended to different sections of students has become an added advantage to pursue higher education abroad, the sources added.

Establishing Telangana Forest College, Agriculture Polytechnic Colleges, new Kendriya Vidyalayas, Science and Food Technology College at Nizamabad, Aero University in Hyderabad, Health University in Warangal, establishing Educational Hub at Gajwel constituency are a few of the efforts being made in the last four years.

This is not only to provide free education in the government-run institutions, but also make them competitive vis-a-vis their counterparts to change the misnomer that quality education is possible only in corporate schools.

Also, steps have been taken to establish educational institutions to provide different streams of educational opportunities. The State government had already accorded permission to fill the vacant posts in all State universities in its objective to have a KG-to-PG accessible education system in Telangana.