The government in Telangana is cracking down on schools that mix education with coaching activities to exploit parents. Many schools with names like “concept, brilliant, central, convent, creative, Digi, excellence, IIT, Hitech, International, Model, National, Planet, Olympiad, Techno, Talent, Smart,” etc. have been banned for violating rules since 2009.
Despite the bans and regulations, some schools in Telangana continue to operate in violation of government orders. This not only goes against the RTE Act of 2009 but also disobeys specific memos and proceedings issued by the State Education Department.
Coaching activities at these schools are considered commercial and not educational. This violates the charitable nature of education and the tax exemptions that educational institutions are supposed to enjoy. The government has identified over 3,000 schools with banned names as of 2016, and the number is likely to have increased since then.
The lack of action against these violators has negatively impacted the quality of school education in Telangana, especially in government schools. Low enrollment and high dropout rates are evident in the state. The responsibility falls on the Telangana School Education Department and its district officials to regulate new schools and ensure compliance with educational standards.