PEDDAPALLI: At Zilla Parishad High School, Garrepally in Sultanabad mandal, students are learning finance in a hands-on way — not through textbooks, but by running their own bank. In a bid to promote financial literacy and discipline from an early age, the school launched the School of Bank Garrepally (SBG) initiative, inaugurated on Saturday by District Educational Officer (DEO) D Madhavi.
Aimed at blending education with real-world responsibility, the student-run bank operates without disrupting regular school hours. As headmaster V Kavitha explains, the idea is to instil money management skills early on. “We want to ensure students develop financial discipline right from school,” she says.
Modelled on real banking operations, SBG allows students to take up roles such as manager, cashier, accountant, clerk and help desk staff. The bank handles basic transactions, including credit and debit vouchers. Students opening accounts receive a passbook and account number, and can deposit their pocket money brought from home.
To maintain academic focus, the school has designated specific banking hours: 8.30 to 9 am, 12.30 to 1.15 pm, and post-school from 4.15 pm. Special cupboards and desks have been set up for the bank’s operations within the school premises.
DEO Madhavi lauded the initiative as a forward-thinking step in school education. “It’s encouraging to see schools go beyond academics and equip students with essential life skills like financial literacy,” she says.
While student-run banks are rare in Telangana, with similar models previously seen only in Jangaon and Mahbubnagar districts, ZPHS Garrepally stands out with its larger student strength of 207. This makes the success and scalability of the programme all the more significant, notes the headmaster.