Hyderabad: The Telangana government is going to introduce a new education policy soon, said Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Thursday, January 8, adding that pre-primary school children in villages will be provided free transportation and girl students will be given top priority in the first phase of admission into the Young India Integrated Residential Schools (YIIRC).
During a review meeting, the Telangana CM also instructed officials to change the curriculum from Class 1 to Class 10 to suit the future needs of school children.
On Thursday, Revanth Reddy met and briefed Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur about the reforms in education and the YIIRC in Telangana, said a press release from the CM’s office.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is preparing a unique “Telangana Education Policy” on the lines of the National Education Policy (NEP) by constituting a committee of experts in education.
Thakur met with the CM at the BR Ambedkar Secretariat in Hyderabad, where Revanth Reddy briefed him about the reforms introduced in the education system in Telangana and also the details of the establishment of YIIRC.
“CM Revanth Reddy stated that each residential school is being constructed in a sprawling 25 acre of land at a cost of ₹200 crore where the students from all communities – SC, ST, BC, and minority will study in one place. The CM also shared with the minister the government’s proposal to provide pre-primary education and strengthen government schools to compete with private schools and transportation facilities for pre-primary schools students in rural areas,” the release said.
Breakfast and lunch in all schools across Telangana
At a review meeting of the Education Department with officials on the same day, the Telangana CM also said that the state has begun the exercise to provide breakfast and lunch in all schools in the next academic year in Hyderabad.
Instructing the officials of the Education Department to complete 23 new school buildings in the Greater Hyderabad area by the next academic year, Revanth Reddy stressed that every school should be developed on at least 1.5 acre of land. He also instructed Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao to hold a meeting with District Collectors and take a decision on the allocation of 2 acre of land, or to take the land on a 99-year lease to establish centralised kitchens.
Revanth Reddy also directed officials to allocate more schools to the girls in the first phase of the YIIRC project. He set a deadline of three years to complete the construction of one YIIRC each for boys and girls in every constituency. “Boys’ schools should be allocated in the next phase in the constituencies where the schools for girls have already been established,” the Chief Minister ordered, according to a press release.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the breakfast and lunch facility run by non-governmental organisations (NGO) in government schools in the Kodangal Assembly constituency, and instructed officials to examine the feasibility of implementing the scheme across the state.
“Representatives of Akshaya Patra informed the CM that they are ready to implement the scheme statewide if the government provides sufficient space and necessary support. In a quick response, the CM directed the officials to formulate plans to ensure the timely delivery of meals to all students by setting up one centralised kitchen for every two constituencies,” added the release.
