HYDERABAD: GHMC’s novel move to create awareness among citizens with respect to exercising their franchise in the upcoming Assembly elections by roping in schools appears to have failed to impress parents. Several city-schools handed out a ‘pledge to vote’ form to their students which needed to be signed by their parents “pledging’ that they would cast their votes. The initiative has been jointly undertaken by the GHMC and the education department.
Though well-intended, the move has been held by parents as being a propaganda by the government, which they said left them high and dry on issues pertaining to regulation of school fees. Reacting to the campaign, Hyderabad Schools Parents Association (HSPA) has questioned the officials on the promises the government had made pertaining to the education sector, particularly setting up of the district fee regulatory committee (DFRC) and the promise of free KG to PG education. It proposes to start a ‘Vote for Education Campaign’.
“HSPA plans to launch a campaign to get all voters to take an ‘oath on education to vote for education’ this time. We intend to enlist the support of other social organisations to join and make education an election issue,” said Venkat Sainath, joint secretary of HSPA.
“HSPA will also look to formally submit signed copies of these replies on behalf of parents to the Commissioner GHMC and DEO Hyderabad to elicit their response and cooperation in our ‘Vote for Education Campaign,” Seema Agarwal, vice-president of the Association said.
While lauding the need for awareness on casting votes, experts feel there is also need to analyse the manifestos of different political parties and see how each one fares on different aspects.
Prof PL Vishweshar Rao, former principal of Osmania University Arts College said, “A look at the manifestos shows that not even one promise to invest even 6% of the revenue on education disregarding how crucial this is. We need to invest at least 20 -25 per cent in education. But it is not a priority because manifestos are not analysed and discussed as they should.”