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The Hindu
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
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.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Make Inter marks basis of undergrad admission to end coaching madness: TEC
1 2 Hyderabad: To counter commercialisation of education, the Telangana Education Commission (TEC) on Wednesday recommended that the state reconsider the need for competitive exams such as EAPCET for undergraduate admissions into engineering, pharmacy and agriculture courses. The TEC, which conducted a public hearing on Intermediate education, suggested that Intermediate marks be made the basis for admissions instead. "To reduce the craze for coaching and to end the commercialisation of education, the Intermediate exam should be strengthened further and made the basis for admissions. This model is working quite well in states such as Tamil Nadu," said PL Vishweshwar Rao, member, TEC. The commission, along with other stakeholders, also suggested strengthening public junior colleges with semi-residential models, English medium, nutritious meals, and career counselling. They also stressed on appointment of officers in mandals for monitoring and coordination, enforcing fee regulation, curbing misleading advertisements and unauthorised colleges, and reviving interest in arts and humanities to align Intermediate education with career pathways and higher education goals. At the hearing, various issues were highlighted including lack of transportation, infrastructure gaps, lack of teachers, health and safety, mobile addiction, dropouts due to distance and poverty among others. "One student aspiring to be a civil servant said that she had to drop out as there was no govt junior college nearby. We asked her if she would be interested in studying in a welfare residential school and even convinced her family to enrol her in a gurukul school," said commission chairman Akunuri Murali. Several students also shared stories of financial hardship, loss of parents and lack of access to affordable education even after scoring well in Class 10.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Parents fume over ‘late fees' despite advance payments
Hyderabad: Many parents are outraged as schools slap them with daily late fees — even when fees are paid for an entire term in advance. With no option to pay monthly, families are questioning why they're being penalised for minor delays in lump-sum payments made just three times a argue that its unreasonable to charge a per-day late fee. Schools demand full-term fees upfront, yet charge Rs 20 or more per day as a late fee if the payment is even slightly delayed — leaving parents feeling cornered."My child's school set April 15 as the last date to pay the first term fee. I paid just 20 days later and had to cough up Rs 400 in late fees," said a parent from a CBSE school in Himayatnagar. "We're already paying fees for four months in advance, and now we're being penalised too. It seems like schools are finding new ways to exploit parents." Another parent, whose child goes to a school in SR Nagar, said he too had to pay a late fee for about 45 days. "I was not given any other option. The school refused to accept the fee unless I paid the late charges," he parents believe schools are taking advantage of the lack of fee regulation in Telangana. "They increase fees every year, charge arbitrarily under various heads, and now add late fees to the mix," said Venkat Sainath K, organising secretary of the Hyderabad School Parents' Association (HSPA). "The govt must act. We need a regulatory commission that clearly defines what schools can charge."Meanwhile, some school principals defended the charges, claiming the late fee ensures financial discipline. But the Telangana Education Commission (TEC) doesn't agree. "Schools cannot arbitrarily collect late fees. This is unacceptable," said PL Vishweshwar Rao, member of TEC. "If we receive a formal complaint against any school, the commission will take action." Will introduce fee regulation: PanelHyderabad: The cabinet subcommittee tasked with implementing the Right to Education and fee regulation in Telangana met with parents and school managements on Monday. The committee reiterated its commitment to introducing a school fee regulatory framework in the state. "We've briefed the committee about the situation. Schools have increased fees by nearly 60% this year, anticipating that regulations might finally come into force. We hope the govt acts swiftly now," said a member of the Hyderabad School Parents' Association (HSPA).
