Hyderabad: Focus on Improving Government Schools, Says CM Revanth Reddy
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy highlighted the need to address flaws in the education system, noting that private schools have more students than government schools. Speaking at the 150th-year celebrations of Zilla Parishad High School in Mogiligidda, Rangareddy district, on Friday, he urged government teachers to identify the problems and work towards fixing them.
During the event, the Chief Minister criticized the neglect of education by the previous government. He explained that this was why he decided to personally oversee the education department, ensuring it receives the attention it deserves. The Congress government, he noted, had taken swift action by recruiting 11,000 teachers in just 55 days.
Revanth Reddy expressed concern over the disparity between government and private schools. “There are 30,000 government schools with only 24 lakh students, while private schools number 12,500 but have 31 lakh students,” he said. The CM pointed out that teachers in private schools are often less qualified than those in government schools, emphasizing that the issue lies within the system. “It is our responsibility to fix these flaws,” he urged the teachers.
The Chief Minister also criticized the previous government for neglecting higher education institutions, leaving Vice-Chancellor posts vacant for 10 years. This, he said, diminished the reputation of universities like Osmania and Kakatiya, which were once prominent. He reminded the audience of the critical role these universities played in the Telangana movement and pledged to strengthen them. Revanth Reddy mentioned increasing the retirement age for professors from 60 to 65 as part of these efforts.
Stressing the importance of education, the CM called it an investment rather than an expenditure. He revealed that Rs 21,000 crore, or seven percent of the state budget, was allocated for education this year and suggested this should ideally increase to 15 percent in the future. He also announced plans to establish the Young India Skills University, which will collaborate with institutions like Singapore’s universities and Stanford University.
Revanth Reddy drew attention to India’s poor performance in global sports, contrasting it with countries like South Korea, which has won 32 Olympic gold medals. He lamented that a single South Korean university student had won three gold medals, while India, with its vast population, struggles to achieve such success. He urged teachers to focus on promoting sports and technical skills alongside education, especially in rural areas, to nurture hidden talent. “This will bring pride not only to the district but to the entire country,” he concluded.
