Hyderabad: Will the Telangana Education Commission (TGEC) bring the much-needed reforms in the state’s education sector? Many are wondering if the newly formed TGEC will truly make a difference or if it will just be another formal institution without real impact. Some are questioning whether the state, which is facing financial constraints, should focus on creating a new commission when the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 already exists.
Experts from both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana agree that the state education sector needs major reforms to make it more competitive and dynamic. However, they point out that the last time significant changes were made was about 30 years ago. Back then, the government in united Andhra Pradesh took the decision to make Hyderabad an IT hub, aiming to compete with Bengaluru, the IT capital of India.
A former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, told The Hans India that this decision was made at the right time. The push for Information Technology helped drive advancements in technical education, leading to job creation and income generation. It also played a big role in boosting the state’s economy.
However, the situation has changed drastically since then. The education policies of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are still heavily influenced by decisions made decades ago. Today, new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Data Sciences (DS), and Deep Learning (DL) are becoming part of everyday life. Additionally, fields like social sciences, humanities, law, commerce, and the arts are increasingly blending with science and technology, making multidisciplinary education the new normal.
A senior official from the Andhra Pradesh State Higher Education Council pointed out that reforms in Andhra Pradesh have largely focused on introducing English-medium education by implementing the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus. This created the perception that many students in government schools were speaking fluent English. However, the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 paints a different picture.
According to NAS-2021, data from districts like Nellore, Kadapa, and Chittoor is missing. In the remaining 10 districts, more than 70% of students understand classroom lessons better in Telugu than in English. Even in Visakhapatnam, 69% of students preferred learning in Telugu. This raises questions about the effectiveness of English-medium education and whether these reforms have truly benefited students or the economy.
The situation in Telangana is not much better. The state has been receiving poor scores in NAS assessments, especially in primary and secondary education. Dropout rates are also increasing. In higher education, many of the state’s universities have either dropped in national rankings or failed to appear in them at all. Colleges that have been around for 10 to 30 years or more also struggle to make it to national rankings.
Given this, many people are curious about what the newly planned Telangana Education Commission will achieve. There are also questions about whether the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) will be dissolved.
In academic circles, some worry that the new TGEC may become just another bureaucratic body. Sources from Osmania University and Kakatiya University, the two top universities in Telangana, have said that the state government has not asked for any suggestions on the formation of the new commission. Moreover, the government has not sought public input from stakeholders.
This has left many wondering whether the new commission will truly bring about the needed changes or if it will follow the same path as previous efforts.
