Call for 20% outlay for education in Telangana Budget

In 153 schools in eight mandals of Gadwal, Rangareddy, Hyderabad and Medchal districts, 73 schools don’t have kitchen sheds for cooking midday meals, 69 don’t have separate toilets for boys and girls, 92 do not provide midday meal as per the menu. These and other startling facts were disclosed by G. Bhagyalakshmi of Mothers’ Association, making a case for a higher budgetary outlay for school education at a round table conference on the issue.

“We are not asking for money out of thin air. We are laying out statistics based on a study we carried out in these districts to show how bad the situation is with schools lacking fencing, classrooms, toilets, and drinking water facility,” she said, calling for allocating 20% of Telangana Budget for the education sector.

The conference organised by M. Venkatarangaiya Foundation at Press Club in Hyderabad, saw educationists and social activists making a case for increasing the budget spending on education from 7.5% to 20%.

“Government schools bring in equality in society. Government schools are accessible to all where social or economic rank does not matter. There is a need to strengthen the education system and this can happen only with mass involvement,” said M. Kodandaram, MLC, Telangana. “Social change is possible only with government schools,” he said.

“Schools are there but there are no children in the school. Toilets are being built for schools but they don’t function. Some schools are surrounded by toilets but not one of them will be usable. We need functioning toilets,” said former MLC Narsi Reddy highlighting how budgetary cuts have impacted school infrastructure and maintainance.

“CURE, PURE and RARE show how Telangana government is focussed on urbanisation. There are more children in urban areas than in rural areas in Telangana. If there are more children, naturally, the number of schools should increase and match the urbanisation. This has not happened. If these schools have to be built there has to be higher budget,” he said.

Sector neglected

“Education sector has been wrecked from the time of formation of separate Telangana. Our hopes have been belied. It is not Telangana rising. It is falling Telangana,” said K. Laxminarayana. “The GDP of Telangana is rising but why is the outlay for education not increasing. At the time of formation of Telangana it was 11% now it is now 7.5%. This drops shows the destruction wrecked by the rulers who don’t care about the people. This is a meeting in a city. It will soon take the shape of dharnas and protests in villages,” said the former UoH professor.