Telangana schools carry Andhra Pradesh recognition on board

Hyderabad: A line declaring recognition on school signboards is creating confusion among parents. Many schools in Telangana, including some in Hyderabad, sport the line “recognised by Government of AP" on their boards.

Schools established after the state bifurcation in June 2014 are being accorded recognition by the Telangana state education department. Schools that obtained recognition before bifurcation still bear the name of undivided AP.

School recognition is given for 10 years and it should be renewed thereafter. Therefore, a school that secured recognition in 2012 will not apply for renewal till 2022, and will have the ‘AP government recognition’ till then.

All these schools utilise the services of the Telangana education department.
Besides, there are nearly 400 schools in the state, including 50 in Telangana, that were accorded permanent recognition prior to 1983. They do not have to apply for renewal, and bear the name of undivided AP.

Asked about the confusion this causes, Missionary Schools president Brother Show Reddy said that the onus lies with the state government.

“Instructions should be given to all school managements to change nameboards to show recognition from the Telangana state government, which is inevitable since the state has been bifurcated. The need of the hour is government focus on this and ensuring unanimity among all schools running with state syllabus,” he said.

All that is needed is a GO and school managements will toe the line, an official from the education department said.

Small schools say fee not high
Allegations of exorbitant fees being collected by private schools in the state has become a bane for fifteen thousand odd private educational institutions in Telangana state.

While a few corporate and international schools are indulging in such practices the blame is being put on the entire private schools system, rued, Telangana Recognised Schools Management Association president S. Narsi Reddy lamented.

“It is not fair to judge all private institutions with the same yard stick. The fees being collected in our schools ranges from Rs 10,000 (for kindergarten) to Rs 30,000 (for SSC). This is not comparable with the high fees of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh collected by corporate and international schools,” he said.