There is huge demand and intense competition for admissions in residential schools set up by the government due to quality education provided to the poor SC, ST, BC and Minority students and the government will strive to set up more such institutions, said Social Welfare Minister Koppula Eshwar here on Saturday.
A meeting will be convened soon with the MLAs from the above categories to consider their demands for more schools, colleges and a university for Dalits.
Responding to members in the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly who sought more residential schools in Adilabad, Bhadrachalam and other districts, the Minister said that the government had set up 602 residential schools for all categories of students belonging to underprivileged sections in the last five years and over 2.39 lakh students were given admissions. Overall there were 945 residential schools with over 4 lakh students in the State. In the combined State, the residential schools had no takers
The government was approximately spending ₹ 1 lakh to ₹1.2 lakh on each student for providing nutritious food, good uniforms, quality education and extra curricular activities and it had reflected in the academic and extra-curricular performance of the students and their English speaking skills.
Naturally there was demand to increase seats in the existing institutions or increase institutions as quality of education and facilities were on par with corporate schools but free of cost, the Minister said. Providing quality education to the underprivileged children was a continuous process but the demand could not be met at one go. In the last five years the government had spent ₹2,243 crore.
The Chief Minster had already sanctioned overall 268 higher education institutions too, including 30 degree colleges, 15 junior colleges, he said.
