HYDERABAD: Finding fault with the previous UPA regime at Centre for the chaos prevailing in education sector, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said that Model School System and Right to Education (RTE) policy formulated by the then UPA Government had several loopholes leading to numerous problems.
“Under the RTE Act, 25 percent seats in private schools should be earmarked for poor students. If this is strictly implemented, nearly 50 percent government schools would have to be shut down and 40,000 teachers would be rendered jobless,” Rao pointed out adding that scrapping of unrecognised schools too would affect students and large number of teachers.
Rao made these observations while intervening in a discussion on unrecognised private schools raised by TDP’s A Revanth Reddy and others in the state Assembly during question hour.
Rao added that around 3,000 Model Schools opened in the state with Central government funds during UPA regime have been scrapped by the present government. “The state government is now maintaining these model schools utilising its funds as we don’t want to make school children suffer,” he said. Referring to delay in fee reimbursement, which is not only affecting the college managements but also forcing students to streets, Rao issued instructions to the Finance department to ensure that from April this year there should be zero arrears pending in this regard.
The Chief Minister also stressed the need for a detailed discussion to enable the state government to revamp the education sector and prepare a suitable education policy to enhance the academic quality and bring the entire education system under one umbrella.
The CM said there is a need for thorough discussions on education as well as on health policy and appealed Assembly Speaker S Madhusudana Chary to allot time and date during the current session for discussions on education and health policies.
Earlier, replying to a question raised by A Revanth Reddy and others, deputy Chief Minister and education minister K Srihari assured the members that state government is taking steps to regulate fee structure in private schools. Allegations of exorbitant fee by private schools would be viewed very seriously, he added.
The minister said that representatives of Hyderabad Schools Parents Association have complained that private schools were charging exorbitant fees. Already notices have been served to 12 private schools in this regard and replies received from few of them. “The government is analysing the case and will take action as per law,” he assured.
Srihari said a meeting of parents associations and school managements would be called shortly to discuss the issue.
He said the government has identified about 662 schools as unrecognised of which 510 have already been closed and students accommodated in nearby schools. The managements of the remaining 152 schools have been told to take permission.
TDP member R Krishnaiah demanded steps to streamline the fee structure in private schools.