Hyderabad: The Telangana Education Commission (TEC) held its first public hearing on school-related issues at the Hyderabad collector’s office on Tuesday, drawing over 300 participants, including teachers, students, NGOs, and other stakeholders. The hearing highlighted major concerns such as infrastructure gaps, midday meal availability, teacher absenteeism, and fee hikes.
A key issue raised by Akunuri Murali, chairman of the TEC was the lack of schools in the city, particularly for the city’s growing migrant population. The commission acknowledged the need for new schools but noted that existing ones operate widely from rented accommodations.
“The burden of a bilingual syllabus i.e. Telugu and English were also discussed since parents and students both had complained about the syllabus being heavy,” shared P L Vishsweshar Rao, a member of the TEC. Additionally, the lack of Aadhar cards among students was flagged, so the commission clarified that they would not be insisting on the same during the enrollment process.
To improve school quality, the government plans to revise the grading system, ensure better playground facilities, and maintenance of washrooms. The appointment of counselors in both government and private schools, at least once a week, is also in the pipeline to support the mental well-being of students.
Overall, the meeting focused on emphasizing and implementing the Right to Education (RTE) Act and has thus submitted a set of recommendations to the state government, Murali shared.