Telangana government assures it will meet school association demands

Hyderabad: The education department has assured the Telangana Recognised School Managements Association (TRSMA) that it will meet some of the demands of budget private schools, association general secretary S. Madhusudhan told Deccan Chronicle on Wednesday.

This comes a day after Deccan Chronicle’s ground report on the disheartening conditions and preparedness of budget schools in face of the possible reopening of classes amidst the pandemic.

At a meeting on Tuesday with the representatives of TRSMA, education minister Sabitha Indira Reddy and special chief secretary Chitra Ramachandran said that some of the demands will be met in the next two or three days.

The agitation that the TRSMA had planned from December 16 to 29 with a charter of demands to the government to save budget schools has been put on hold. 

The association had planned to present its demands to MPs, MLAs and public representatives, hold press conferences and a round table meeting to sensitise the stakeholders. The association had also planned to observe a ‘black day’ and a hunger strike in front of district education offices as well as start a Twitter storm.

Madhusudhan said the agitation had been put on hold for three days on the government’s word. If the promise is not fulfilled, the association would go ahead with the agitation, he said.

The TRSMA has demanded that the government give education vouchers worth Rs 20,000 to private and government school students and ‘guru dakshina’ of Rs 7,500 to teachers in private schools during the lockdown period. It is also demanding that the government release a comprehensive academic calendar with exam schedule and release the SSC exam fee notification.

The association demanded extension or renewal of recognition till 2021-22 to all schools. They also demanded low-interest loans from the State Finance Corporation with a moratorium of 12 months, and to stop name change of schools.