Hyderabad: As the TRS government is considering including model schools into its ‘KG to PG’ scheme, there is a growing demand to upgrade the institutions and then focus on building new ones.
With the NDA government delinking itself from the model schools scheme, most state governments, including Telangana, are unsure about continuing them.
The Telangana state government was planning to construct 125 model schools, but may drop it after the Centre's decision. These schools will now be set up as ‘KG to PG’ institutions.
Telangana has 182 operational model schools. The scheme was launched by the then UPA government in collaboration with state governments to provide quality education to rural students besides ensuring high enrollment among girls.
One mandal each was selected based on economic backwardness. The schools have Classes 6 to 12 and the medium of instruction is English. Close to one lakh students and 5,000 staff, teaching and non-teaching, are associated with these schools.
Telangana State Mo-del Schools Teachers Federation president B. Kondaiah appreciated the government’s intention to convert model schools into institutions drafted for ‘KG to PG’ but wanted the existing schools to be included in the flagship scheme.
“These schools have good infrastructure and require minimum expenditure for expansion like construction of hostels for boys and other facilities. Most of the schools have hostel accommodation for girl students,” he added.
TRS Teachers MLC P. Sudhakar Reddy said the existing model schools would either be absorbed into the ‘KG to PG’ scheme or be made part of the residential welfare societies.
