TEC public hearing on Intermediate education in Telangana

Intermediate education in the State needs reforms with changes ranging from curricula, building trust among parents, making government junior colleges more accessible, including timely payment of scholarships and fee reimbursements to students and institutions, among others.
Wide-ranging concerns were noted by various stakeholders at the public hearing organised by the Telangana Education Commission (TEC) here on Wednesday.
TEC member P.L. Vishweshwar Rao, opening the session, stressed that the State has been witnessing lower enrolment numbers and there was also a need to diversify by looking beyond the four traditional streams of MPC, BiPC, MEC and CEC.
No junior college
For one girl who attended the hearing with her mother, the concern was even more basic. She hails from Kapra mandal in Medchal Malkajgiri district, home to over 1.60 lakh people, but with no government junior college. Her family cannot afford private college fees and is hesitant to send her away for higher education.
Parents also highlighted the lack of awareness about Gurukula schools and called for fee regulation, career counselling and greater CSR involvement to improve infrastructure and services.
Civil society members echoed these concerns, pointing to poor infrastructure, high dropout rates due to the distance to colleges, lack of career guidance and a shortage of lecturers.
Strengthening colleges
Domain experts, lecturers and union leaders spoke about the 'visible erosion of trust' in government colleges. Of 3,009 colleges in the State, only 400 are government-run, and over 90% of students are also enrolled in private institutions, they said. They called for a strict fee regulatory mechanism, and strengthening the colleges with sufficient funds, coaching and infrastructure.
Participants also said that the government must reconsider the need for EAMCET, if Intermediate examination is made the basis for future streams.
TEC chairperson Akunuri Murali said the main idea of the public hearing was to understand the concerns of parents and students. He also pointed to the stress level among students and the rapid commercialisation of Intermediate education. He assured that TEC will study the various aspects in depth, analyse and formulate suitable recommendations.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New Indian Express

2 days ago

• New Indian Express

Planning council line-up complete, in boost for greater Kochi region development

KOCHI: The election of four members two each of the LDF and the UDF of the Kochi corporation council on Thursday has completed the line-up of the 10-member Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), setting the stage for development of the greater Kochi region, spanning nine municipalities, 30 grama panchayats and the corporation in Ernakulam district. Six representatives from local bodies in the region were elected early this week. The council will also have five government-nominated members. The election of the chairperson will be held on July 1. With five members each from the LDF and the UDF in the council, chairmanship may be decided by a coin toss. The government nominees do not have voting power. Kochi mayor M Anilkumar said that development of the city will be incomplete without including nearby municipalities and panchayats, and the constitution of MPC will drive it. 'Kochi is not about the municipal corporation. The area extends from Aroor in the south to North Paravoor in the north and Perumbavoor in the east to Angamaly in the west. However, projects are mostly limited to the boundaries of the corporation. Master plans should also benefit the larger metropolitan area. The MPC can help with this,' he said. The Kerala High Court, in March 2023, directed the state government to constitute an MPC for Kochi as mandated under Article 243 ZE of the Indian Constitution to prepare a draft development plan for metropolitan areas. A proposal was submitted to the state government to set up MPCs for Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. The mayor added that as representatives of local bodies are elected to MPC, the development of every area would be ensured. Dr May Mathew, founder trustee and chief planner with the Centre for Environmental Efficiency, said that MPCs as envisaged in the Constitution are bodies wherein regional planning parameters are incorporated. Dos and don'ts are evolved using a scientifically backed development plan for the metropolitan region, which contains both urban and rural areas.

India Today

6 days ago

• India Today

Andhra launches free JEE, NEET coaching for 1 lakh government college students

Andhra Pradesh Human Resource Minister Nara Lokesh on Sunday launched a state-wide initiative to provide free coaching for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) aspirants studying in government junior to an official press release, over one lakh students from 1,355 government junior colleges will be provided with specially prepared study material designed by expert faculty to support their preparation for these national-level entrance initiative gives every Andhra student a fair chance to dream big and achieve bigger,' Lokesh said in a press release, underlining the government's commitment to bridging the gap between private and public education. He added, 'Our mission is simple: to give every student the confidence, tools, and platform to dream big and achieve bigger.' Under the new model, students enrolled in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry (MPC) and Biology, Physics, Chemistry (BiPC) streams will receive specially designed study material for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics. The content has been prepared by a team of subject experts from both government and private institutions over the past six months. Junior lecturers have also undergone training to ensure effective delivery of the order to accommodate the structured coaching programme, college timings have been extended from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm to 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Each day, students will receive a minimum of two hours of focused coaching based on the new addition to free study resources, the state government has implemented weekly tests, performance reviews, and continuous tracking of student progress, mechanisms that are commonly found in private coaching institutions. These measures, according to the minister, are designed to ensure that government school students are able to compete on 'equal footing with their peers in elite institutions'.Lokesh described the initiative as a 'first of its kind' in the state's education history, particularly in terms of its scale and targeted support for economically disadvantaged students. The programme is being positioned as a key component of the Andhra Pradesh Model of Education, with the overarching principle that quality education should be a right, not a privilege.'This is about creating an environment where every child in Andhra Pradesh can prepare confidently for national-level exams like JEE and NEET, regardless of their socio-economic background,' Lokesh said.

Hans India

6 days ago

• Hans India

1L students to get free JEE/NEET coaching

Vijayawada: In a major initiative aimed at democratising access to competitive exam preparation, the Andhra Pradesh government launched a comprehensive programme to provide free, high-quality coaching and study material for JEE and NEET to over 1,00,000 students across 1,355 government junior colleges. The announcement was made by Education Minister Nara Lokesh, who emphasised the government's commitment to equitable educational opportunities. "We are giving every Andhra child a fair chance to dream big and achieve bigger," the minister said, highlighting the unprecedented scale of the programme. This initiative, which will benefit MPC and BiPC students across the state, marks the first time such a large-scale endeavor has been undertaken in the state's education system to empower students from economically weaker backgrounds to compete at the national level for admission into top engineering and medical colleges. A specialised study material for physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics has been developed over six months by a team of leading subject experts from both government and private educational institutions. To facilitate dedicated coaching, college timings have been extended from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm to 9:00 am–5:00 pm. Students will now receive a minimum of two dedicated hours of coaching daily based on the new curriculum. Junior lecturers have undergone specialised training to effectively deliver the content. Beyond just study materials, the programme incorporates the best practices from top private institutions, including weekly tests, performance reviews, and regular progress tracking, all now implemented within government colleges. Lokesh reiterated. "We are creating an environment where every child in Andhra Pradesh can prepare confidently for JEE, NEET, and other national-level exams." This initiative will significantly bridge the existing gap between private and government education, aligning with the 'Andhra Pradesh Model of Education', he added. "Our government firmly believes that quality education must be a right, not a privilege," Lokesh remarked.