Latest news with #TGEC
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
TGEC recommendation on quota gives jitters to schools
Hyderabad: The Draft School Fee Regulation (DSFR) by the Telangana Education Commission (TGEC) to the state government, recommending mandatory implementation of 25 per cent reserved seats to the backward sections of the society, is giving jitters to about 10,000 self-financed schools in the state. Raising the issue, the Telangana Recognised School Managements Association (TRSMA), citing the Telangana State's financial conditions they be spared from bearing the brunt of implementing the TGEC recommendation. The TRSMA said it wholeheartedly welcomes the spirit of the RTE Act's provision of mandating 25 per cent reservation for underprivileged students. However, 'We wish to highlight the prevailing financial challenges being faced by the state, as acknowledged by the Honorable Chief Minister.' It further pointed out that due to the non-release of funds under the 'Best Available School' scheme for the past three years, 'private schools, along with junior and degree colleges, are facing severe financial strain.' Moreover, school managements accommodating Gurukul schools have not received rent reimbursement for extended periods. Against these challenges, the TRSMA on behalf of 10,000 budget schools, has asked the State government not to implement the recommendation made by the TGEC and the RTE, as it would burden schools with uncompensated obligations. Instead, it suggested that the State government provide the necessary financial support directly to students. 'This would empower families to choose the school best suited to their children's needs, including corporate schools,' said TRSMA Karimnagar president K Sanjeeva Reddy. Meanwhile, questions were raised over the transparency and fairness of the TGEC policy perspectives and the failure to take a holistic and inclusive view of the school education. For example, the TGEC is advocating for the conversion of all Telugu medium schools into English medium ones; however, it remains silent on applying this same recommendation to Urdu, Kannada, Marathi, and other medium schools operating in the state. Exposing one standard to one language and quite another to other medium schools. Additionally, while the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act is recommended, which includes reserving 25 percent of seats in all private schools, the TGEC is avoiding the issue of minority institutions that are violating mandatory rules by admitting more non-minority students. Speaking to The Hans India, sources in the state school education department say, 'There are several prominent schools running with a minority tag for decades. However, the number of students given admissions is more than the minority students. This is against the existing rules of granting minority status. The state government can cancel the minority status of such educational institutions,' a TGSED official said. That apart, the minority institutions have been allegedly collecting donations for admissions as much as the private schools. However, neither the state nor any authority ever negotiated with these schools to mandatorily admit a certain number of people from the poorer and underprivileged sections of the state. Further, some of the minority institutions are receiving the fees and donations from non-minority students than the minority students for whose educational promotions they have applied for the minority institution's status.
Hans India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Does TGEC have intellectuals better than Tagore and Ambedkar?
Hyderabad: After passing a resolution to completely reject the New Education Policy-2020, the Telangana Education Commission (TGEC) has once again attempted to make a significant impression by organising a seminar. This seminar, themed 'English as a Medium of Instruction and Imparting Spoken English Skills to Students in Government Schools,' has been labelled a 'high-level seminar.' However, many view the Commission as merely reinventing the wheel. Sources indicate that a few TGEC officials congratulated each other for advocating the introduction of English as the sole 'save our soul' policy essential for the survival of the educational system in the state. Critics from state universities and academic circles argue that the seminar did not yield any new or significant insights and believe it was a waste of taxpayers' money. Speaking to The Hans India, a senior faculty member in Linguistics from the University of English and Foreign Languages (UEFL), while refraining from specific comments on the TGEC's seminar, emphasised that English-medium instruction has been established in the country for the last 200 years. The first significant push for this came from social reformer Raja Rammohan Roy, who wrote a letter to the then British Governor-General Lord Amherst in 1823. In his letter, he opposed the establishment of a Sanskrit College and advocated for founding an English language institution instead. Earlier, he played an active role in establishing the Hindu College in Calcutta in 1817, which later became a centre for English and Western education. Subsequently, Macaulay's 'Minute on Education' in 1835 officially promoted English education in India. A former Vice-Chancellor of the oldest state university in Telangana highlighted that Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore outrightly rejected the idea of using English as the medium of instruction, insisting that it should only be learned as a second language, especially in the early stages of education. Dr B R Ambedkar also argued that forcing a foreign language too early could hinder learning and alienate students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. He suggested that English should be introduced at higher education levels to empower students to participate in national and international affairs. Moreover, experts in English language, literature, and linguistics from Andhra, Sri Venkateswara, and Osmania Universities in the two Telugu states pointed out that numerous seminars are organised both nationally and internationally on the topic of instruction in the mother tongue and foreign languages. Many of these events have focused on South Asia and Africa, featuring experts from various fields, including linguistics, neuro linguistics, natural language processing, philosophy of mind and language, child psychology, mathematics, educational psychology, cognitive sciences, and other fundamental and applied sciences, including medicine. The themes often explore how colonial rulers used English-medium instruction not only for education but also as a weapon to promote neo-colonialism, subjugating their subjects culturally, destroying native knowledge traditions, and furthering 'Western Universalisation.' Besides, to sustain and strengthen the scale of their knowledge and educational economies remains a dominant factor. Additionally, there are numerous research papers published in peer-reviewed national and international journals over the past 150 years on the issue of the language of instruction. When confronted with the seminar outcomes claimed by the TGEC, faculty members pointed out that no new insights emerged from the seminar. Most of the views expressed by the speakers had already been articulated, researched, and published extensively by experts over the last 50 years in the contexts of emerging fields, including the intersection of science, technology, language, and linguistics and their diversity.
Hans India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
TGEC conducts high-level seminar over English as medium of instruction
Hyderabad: A high-level seminar organised under the auspices of the Telangana Education Commission (TGEC) addressed the pressing issue of English as a medium of instruction in government schools and the effective teaching of spoken English skills to students. On Monday, the workshop was chaired by Akunuri Murali, the Chairperson of TGEC, and opened by member Prof P L Vishweshwar Rao. The Commission has long been engaged with the policy question of language in education, particularly concerning the balance between equity, quality, and employability. In his welcome address, Prof Vishweshwar Rao emphasised that the issue is being considered with an open mind, prioritsing the best interests of students. Members of the Working Group on 'Spoken English Initiatives in Telangana Government Schools,' which includes Dr Vijay Kumar Tadakamalla (BITS Pilani, Hyderabad), R. Sridhar Rao (Azim Premji University, Bengaluru), and Dr Santhosh Mahapatra (BITS Pilani, Hyderabad), were among the key speakers. The TGEC Chairperson clarified that the workshop focused not on pedagogy but on the role of English as a medium of instruction. He pointed out the ideological tensions that sometimes lead to recommendations for other languages as the medium of instruction. He also highlighted practical considerations such as access to higher education and employability. Santosh Eshram, who works with tribal communities, shared that children often encounter unfamiliar content in English textbooks and stressed the importance of learning conversational English in context, particularly through simple, play-based teaching methods. Ashok Reddy, a School Assistant in English and a Fulbright Fellow, noted that while government schools are officially English medium, classroom teaching still heavily depends on Telugu. He advocated for a bridge training programme for teachers and emphasised the need for a gradual and structured transition. Prof Sujatha Surepally and other speakers underscored the cultural and political dimensions of language, advocating for mother-tongue instruction in early grades and a distinction between English language learning and the medium of instruction. Prof Raju Naik and Mazher Hussain (COVA) supported early exposure to English, citing neuroplasticity research that shows language learning is most effective before the age of nine. Dr Santhosh Mahapatra challenged the idea of a fixed medium of instruction and suggested using Telugu to learn English, with resources provided in English. Prof Vijaya Kumar aimed to dispel misconceptions that introducing a language earlier leads to better learning outcomes or that more languages introduced at an early age are beneficial, citing research that contradicts these claims. Dr Lina Mukhopadhyaya (EFLU) highlighted the importance of linguistic diversity and home-language support while recognizing the societal demand for English in a digitized and globalised world. Prof Padmaja Shaw pointed out the potential cultural implications when advocating for the mother tongue as the medium of instruction. Drawing from communication theories, she noted that those with English language skills are typically better positioned to seize opportunities in today's digitised and globalised world. During the open session, teachers, parents, and students provided diverse perspectives. Some shared their personal experiences of language as a marker of opportunity and discrimination, while others expressed concerns regarding cultural loss and the preparedness of teachers. In his closing remarks, Murali addressed the practical challenges of reverting to regional language instruction in a system where public perception equates English with opportunity. He reiterated that 'any policy must centre on the needs of the child and the aspirations of families.' Prof P L Vishweshwar Rao mentioned that the Commission had visited every district in the state and found overwhelming community support, even in underprivileged areas, for English medium education, reflecting a grassroots aspiration for equal opportunities.
