Litigations bog down Telangana education department

Hyderabad: How educated are the mandarins manning the Education department in Telangana?

The question assumes significance following every aspect of its functioning, starting with admissions, school fee, student attendance to online and offline classes, salaries to teachers, allegations of arbitrary retrenchment of teachers in private schools and colleges. A series of issues of the department, from the school to university level, are landing in courts. Activities like NCC, NSS, Scouts and Guides, Red Cross in educational institutions are the only exception that have not so far landed in courts. There seem to be no end to the civil society organisations and various parents' associations challenging the actions of the department, making it stand as one among the major litigants before courts.

One fails to understand as to whether it is the department, civil society organisations, parents' associations, teachers and student unions. Or, the outcomes of the court judgment in the series of litigations?

Speaking to The Hans India, a top official of the department said, "the department faces litigation in a majority of cases related to admissions, fee, salaries, removal of private teachers."

There is not much litigation faced by the department when it comes to schools, colleges and universities run by the government. "Most issues the department face relate to service matters in government-run institutions," he added.

Why the private school management's are not utilising the existing fora, like school parents' associations, teachers' associations, to resolve issues, than one or the other party preferring litigation?

Responding, the Telangana Recognised School Management Association (TRSMA), president Y Shekhar Rao attributed it to the department's failure to take into confidence its stakeholders. Most times the focus of the government and the department remains how to implement schemes than delivery of education. However, it is not peculiar only to Telangana, but it is a nationwide phenomenon, he adds.

Telangana State United Teachers' Federation general secretary Chava Ravi is of the opinion that lack of collective decision in a democratic manner by the department has been resulting in endless litigations. He claims, "officials at the school, intermediate, higher education and even the ministry have no say in running the education sector. All have to rely on directions." The department has to set an example for others. But the unilateral decisions fail to take the stakeholders into confidence leaving a gap wide open for any one of the stakeholders to litigate before courts, he said. Drawing a comparison with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Ravi said, similar instances are there in that State where people have gone to courts. But there is serious interest by the government to improve the education sector and the delivery is showing results.