Hyderabad: The state is in dire need of a full-time education minister to address pressing issues, said Alugubelli Narsi Reddy, Teachers’ MLC. He was speaking at the 'Vidya Mahagarjana', a protest led by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) at Dharna Chowk, Indira Park.
The protest saw thousands of students from several districts participating, with cultural performances being performed by the Praja Natya Mandali. Narsi Reddy condemned the decision to close 1,864 government schools and highlighted the critical state of the education system, plagued by issues such as seat allotment, exorbitant fees, donations, inadequate hostel facilities, and shortage of teaching staff.
“The government is not allocating sufficient funds for education. Promises to regulate corporate and private school fees have remained unfulfilled, turning education into a business. Corporate mafias and coaching centres, with governmental support, are exploiting students and parents for exorbitant fees and donations,” Narsi Reddy told Deccan Chronicle.
He pointed out the alarming situation of pending scholarships and fee reimbursements amounting to Rs 8,252 crore over the past six years. Private educational institutions were being forced to run on borrowed funds, with increasing interest rates. They were demanding fees from students in exchange for certificates, he said.
Speaking about the condition in government hostels, Sharath S.I., a protestor, said, “There are no own buildings for many hostels and gurukulas, forcing them to operate from rented premises with inadequate facilities. Students are living in unsafe conditions with no proper drinking water or sanitation.” He said the mess charges were far from sufficient to provide quality meals.
Narsi Reddy criticised the government’s negligence in appointing Vice Chancellors for state universities, which are running without 70 per cent of the sanctioned teaching and non-teaching posts. He condemned the fee hike in government degree and postgraduate colleges, and slammed the policy of turning regular courses into self-financed ones, making education unaffordable for the underprivileged.
The event also saw SFI state president R.L. Murthy and secretary T. Nagaraju condemning the arrests of hundreds of students and injuries during the protest. They called for state-wide protests against the government’s actions. Murthy highlighted the failure to increase mess and cosmetic charges for hostel students by 26 per cent despite cabinet approval, leaving nearly eight lakh students in 3,214 hostels deprived of nutritious food. The lack of a dedicated education minister and the crisis in government schools, colleges, and welfare hostels were emphasised as severe concerns.
TS UTF state secretary Chava Ravi opposed the proposal to merge over 3,664 upper primary schools, which he warned would adversely affect students. He demanded that the government withdraw the proposal to abolish intermediate education and implement a new educational policy.
