HYDERABAD: The Telangana Education Commission’s (TEC) recommendation on the establishment of Telangana Public Schools (TPS) across the state promises both immediate and long-term impact. As per the recommendation, the establishment of schools will be undertaken in two phases, and each TPS will be constructed at an average capital cost of Rs15 crore.
As part of the pilot initiative, the Commission has already identified and developed four schools — two in Rangareddy district at Manchal and Artula, and two in Nagarkurnool district at Vangoor and Polkampally. These schools offer education from Nursery to Class XII. TEC recently submitted its comprehensive policy document, Education Policy for Telangana 2026: Vision for Inclusive Excellence, to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
The document consists of 12 chapters, and Telangana Public Schools: Building Stronger Schools is one of the key chapters. The Commission highlighted several strategies, including the concept of Telangana Public Schools, approach and model design, major features, envisaged outcomes, long-term impact, and implementation and financial plan.
During a review meeting on Thursday, the chief minister announced that 100 public schools would be established across constituencies from the coming academic year.
Elaborating on the implementation plan, a TEC member said the rollout would be done in two phases. In the first phase (2026–2028), two Telangana Public Schools will be established in each mandal to ensure statewide coverage. In the second phase, additional schools will be set up based on population norms.
Each school will be constructed at an average capital cost of Rs 15 crore and will be provided with five buses operated by local entrepreneurs under a financing model comprising 50% subsidy and 40% loan support. Additionally, an annual recurring expenditure of Rs 1.1 crore will be incurred per school to provide breakfast, lunch and evening snacks to all students from pre-primary to intermediate levels.
Once fully scaled across all 632 mandals, the TPS network is expected to benefit around 33 lakh students and reduce the financial and logistical burden on over 65 lakh parents. The Commission estimates that parents could collectively save up to Rs 10,000 crore annually if around 20 lakh students shift from private to government schools.
The policy also proposes the establishment of Telangana Foundational Schools (TFS) in the future, if required. These schools will cater to Nursery through Class II and aim to strengthen early childhood education by integrating pre-primary grades into the formal schooling system.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Recognised School Managements Association (TRSMA) submitted its comments to the Education department on the proposed policy.
The association stated that private schools should be treated as partners in educational development rather than merely regulated entities. It also cautioned that uniform infrastructure standards without practical considerations could lead to the closure of small and budget private schools, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
Public school push
Cater to 1,500 students from pre-primary to Class X or XII
Offer comprehensive facilities, including subject-wise and grade-specific teachers and digital classrooms
Provide safe and reliable transportation
Reallocate existing government teachers to meet the needs of these large schools
Ensure improved access to quality education with a special focus on foundational literacy and numeracy, remedial teaching, enhancement of non-cognitive skills, and strengthened administration and governance.