HYDERABAD: The Union government has approved Rs 1,763.7 crore for implementing the Samagra Shiksha scheme in Telangana in 2026-27. Of this, the Centre will contribute Rs 960.4 crore and the state Rs 640.26 crore as its matching share.
The Project Approval Board (PAB) of the Ministry of Education recently approved the funds after reviewing the scheme’s implementation in Telangana.
The PAB noted that Telangana recorded improvement in Gross and Net Enrolment Ratios across all stages of school education in 2024-25 compared with 2023-24. However, it flagged the disparity between government and private schools.
Government schools account for 69.7% (30,057) of the state’s schools, while private schools account for 28.9% (12,474). Yet, only 35.3% (26.29 lakh) of students are enrolled in government schools, compared with 63.7% (47.52 lakh) in private schools. A similar disparity exists among teachers, with government schools accounting for 43.3% (1,54,956) of teachers and private schools employing 55.8% (1,99,734).
The PAB advised the state to conduct a root-cause analysis and take remedial measures to reverse the trend and improve enrolment in government schools. The number of single-teacher schools declined from 5,720 in 2023-24 to 4,739 in 2024-25.
TG’s secondary dropout rate now above nat’l avg
However, single-teacher government upper primary schools increased from 80 to 93. The PAB suggested rationalising teacher deployment and ensuring adequate staff to facilitate effective curricular activities.
The board also noted that Telangana reported zero dropout rates at the preparatory and middle stages, better than the national averages. However, the secondary-stage dropout rate rose from 8% in 2023-24 to 10.5% in 2024-25, exceeding the national average of 8.2%.
The PAB further flagged a shortage of academic staff in the 14 District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs). Of 286 sanctioned posts, only 135 are filled, leaving 151 vacant. It advised the state to fill the vacancies on priority to strengthen teacher education and institutional effectiveness.