The Telugu Desam Party Telangana State unit has criticised the government for its “lopsided priorities” in education sector which is leading to significant rise in the number of drop-outs from educational institutions.
TDP polit bureau member Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy said the government which was harping on promoting residential schools was, however, silent on the closure of schools which was resulting in higher drop-out rate. Schools were being closed in the name of GO 99 and the government claimed in the same order that it would reimburse the fares incurred by students who were travelling to other places to pursue their studies. “The GO exposes the irresponsible attitude of the government towards education as well as its lopsided priorities,” he said alleging that primary education sector was being diluted because of the government’s policies.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Reddy charged the government with encouraging education in private sector which turned out to be burdensome for poor and low income families. While absence of toilets in a majority of schools was the prime reason behind the increasing number of drop outs, the government had not spent the funds allocated by the Centre for putting in place toilets in government schools. “It is unfortunate that the government had constructed toilets in one school as against the funds sanctioned by the Centre for 4,200 schools,” he said.
The government had also failed to conduct DSC examination. for recruitment of teachers in close to four years of the state formation while the government of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had conducted two DSCs in the same period. “Education Minister Kadiyam Srihari had been repeatedly talking about the conduct of DSC, but nothing had materialised so far,” he said.
