KCR to chair roundtable on education

Conference to debate on free education from KG to PG. Each room in the hostels should accommodate only four children and they should have attached bathrooms. The food served to them must have nutrition value.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will preside over a roundtable to discuss with educational experts the implementation of compulsory and free education from KG to PG, an election promise of TRS.

This was decided by Mr. Rao himself on Monday at a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister T. Rajaiah, Education Minister G. Jagadish Reddy and officials about measures to launch the programme.

A release said the conference will debate the entry-level for children to English medium education and the age at which they could be admitted to hostels. It will also go into whether the present strength of teachers would be sufficient to take up the programme or they would require additional training. How should the curriculum for children be?

The Chief Minister emphasised the need for a widespread debate on KG to PG programme as it concerned all sections of people. Therefore, he would invite faculty of National and State Councils for Educational Research and Training, university professors, educationists and other experienced persons in the field for the conference.

Policy framework

He also said a team would also be deputed by the government to study the best practices in education elsewhere in the country and overseas. After the roundtable and the visit of the team, a policy framework for the implementation of the programme would be finalised.

Expansion

Mr. Rao felt the need to start a residential school in every Assembly constituency in the first year of implementation. After assessing the strengths and weaknesses in the first year, the schools could be expanded from the second year. The residential schools could come up over 10 to 15 acres. They should have ultra-modern buildings to house classrooms, hostel accommodation, playgrounds, dining halls and other infrastructural facilities.

Each room in the hostels should accommodate only four children and they should have attached bathrooms. The food served to them must have nutrition value. They should not be given liquid pulse but healthy vegetables and eggs. Even the plates and glasses should be properly sterilised. Senior officials should also send their children to these schools.

Egalitarian society

There should be uniformity in the structure of schools, syllabus, menu of food and examinations all over the State. The schools will be run free of cost without caste and religious considerations.

“The objective was to create an egalitarian society,” he remarked.