Education at risk: Telangana private school teachers fail qualification test

Hyderabad: Several surveys in the past decade have proclaimed the low employability of our engineers. The problem probably lies in the schools. An ongoing government survey of private schools in the city has found that a majority of the teachers employed there are underqualified for the job. Teachers in private and government schools alike are shockingly unaware of the recent changes in school curriculum and exam patterns.

The Telangana state government has initiated a survey of private schools in the state to get firsthand information of the capability of teachers in schools and  the students as well. Preliminary results from Hyderabad have revealed that most teachers in expensive private schools do not have the requisite qualifications. 

“Teachers are not aware of the changes in curriculum and exam patterns. Guides, mostly outdated, are being recommended instead of concentrating on textbooks,” the survey of private schools said.

A senior official of the State Council of Educational Research and Training, involved in the survey, said, “A reputed private school in Hyderabad has one girls’ toilet for 12 sections of students.” Officials say that while state schools are criticised for not having basic amenities, private schools are no better either. 

Also, as reported in these columns earlier, the survey found that most schools  do not follow the new school timings stipulated by the government. 

The TS government had recently carried out a similar survey in about 5,000 government  schools functioning in five districts, including Hyderabad. The survey revealed that 70 to 80 per cent of the government school teachers were unaware of the changes in curriculum or exam patterns.

Read: Telangana to evaluate teachers, give them incentives

“Teachers and students in a school were asked to list out important points from a chapter. While the students completed the task, the teachers were unable to do so,” the official said. 

Government  school students also performed poorly; 45 per cent high school students could not read or write Telugu, while 60 to 80 per cent could not read or write English and 50 per cent had poor basic arithmetic skills.

About 50 per cent students were not aware of basic arithmetic. Like in private schools, government school teachers also blindly recommend guide books to the students, completely ignoring the prescribed textbooks.