Education in Telangana Is in a Disarray, But Sector's Budget Slashed Yet Again

Hyderabad: The education sector in Telangana has once again received a raw deal in the recently presented state annual budget. Pegged at Rs 19,093 crore – which amounts to 6.57% of the total outlay of Rs 2,90.396 crore – the budgetary allocations for the sector have fallen consistently year after year since the current Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government assumed power in 2014.

Telangana has seen a consistent fall in budgetary allocation for education in percentage terms from 10.89% in 2014-15. An allocation to the same percentage would have yielded Rs 29,039 crore for the sector this year.

As the budgetary share of the education sector dips in Telangana year after year, the state manifestly fails to comply with the recommendations of the Kothari Commission, which suggested 30% of the budget be earmarked towards education. The record of the Union government in this regard is no better, for less than 10% of the Union budget is set aside for education every year.

Even in 2022-23 fiscal, Telangana spent 6.24% of its total budget on education – much lower than the all-India average allocation of 15.2% (as per 2021-22 budget estimates).

Despite the tall promises by the TRS government of KG to PG free education, the allocations to education have left a lot to be desired. The K. Chandrashekar Rao government inaugurated the only model showpiece of the state’s first KG to PG institution in Sircilla, the assembly constituency of K.T. Rama Rao, a state minister and son of KCR. Even the institute was developed by a corporate house under its corporate social responsibility in partnership with the state government.

Also read: Telangana: Education Gets a Raw Deal Yet Again in the State Budget

The poor allocations to the education sector have shown their impact. The literacy rate in Telangana at 66.54% is less than 72.98% all India average as per the 2011 census. Literacy in the rural areas is further down at 57.30% as opposed to the 67.77% all-India average.

Cuts in the budget for education

The much-showcased Mana Ooru-Mana Badi/Mana Basti-Mana Badi scheme (My village-My school/My ward-My School) which was announced with much fanfare last year received just Rs 300 crore. The scheme was conceived to improve infrastructure in schools under 12 components.

“Just 10% to 15% of the work is completed in 70% of schools, and in the remaining 30% of schools, work is yet to begin. Out of 9,123 schools, work has finished in only 600 schools,” says Chava Ravi, general secretary of Telangana United Teachers Federation (TSUTF).

Adverse implications due to funds crunch

The falling budgetary allocations are reflected in frequent instances of food poisoning in schools. “The mess charges have not been revised since 2016 despite the rise in consumer goods prices. Sanitation is also being compromised as there is no staff,” adds Ravi.

The agitations by students of Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT) – popularly referred to as IIIT Basara – kept the institute in the news for all the wrong reasons. The students had to launch protests on multiple occasions to seek proper amenities. The institute started in 2008 has faced cuts in funding from 2014-15 as per the agitating student body and reported by the news portal The News Minute.

Due to the introduction of English medium in government schools from classes six and eight and the increased economic distress in the state, an additional 2,35,439 students left private schools to join government schools (as on November 2021). However, Y. Ashok Kumar, president of the Telangana Progressive Teachers Federation (TPTF), says, “Due to 22,000 vacancies in government schools, nearly 1 lakh students left them.”

After reorganisation of districts in the state from 10 to 33 in 2019, the number of mandals in the state went up to 594. The state should have ideally had as many number mandal education officers (MEOs). However, no efforts have been made to create the requisite number of posts and make necessary appointments.

Teachers’ unions in the state allege that the government has resorted to unauthorised rationalisation of schools to carry out a haphazard transfer and promotions of staff in the schools. This, they say, will lead to the shutting down of 1,250 schools.

The government over a period of time transferred some qualified teachers from primary schools to high schools citing necessity without actually promoting them. Promotions were last given in the state in 2015.

“With the norm of at least two teachers per primary school not being followed, many parents have been found asking for the appointment of at least a Vidya Volunteer and a regular teacher in order for them to send their children to government schools.

But the government citing the lack of new students in the first class in 1,250 schools has stopped allotting teachers to these schools as part of its recent transfer policy. This will leave the schools without teachers and lead to the unannounced rationalisation of schools as part of the gradual withdrawal of its responsibility of providing education. Being unannounced, this will not even reflect in the records,” Ashok explained.

It is no wonder that learning outcomes have been found to be dismal in the state.

Responding to the increase in the number of Gurukul schools from 293 to 1,002, Ashok says, “Instead of ensuring quality education through common schools for all children, the government is giving disproportionately more money to Gurukul schools. They cater to just 9% of the total student strength of 60 lakh school students in the state.”

Representative image. Photo: PTI

Teachers’ woes

The issuance of G.0 317 sans proper consultations by the government led to protests by teachers regarding their postings. This led to the coming together of teachers’ unions under an umbrella organisation called Upadhyaya Sanghala Porata Committee (USPC). The ill-timed transfer and promotion schedule given in the middle of the academic year on December 26, 2022 disturbed the academic schedule when students have to be prepared for exams.

“When they are going to come into effect only in April, why did the government bring the issue now,” asks Ashok.

There has also been a delay in the payment of salaries to government school teachers every month. There have been instances during some months when they are paid between 15th and 20th. Teachers in aided and oriental schools are worse off and are not paid for even three to four months straight.

Non-payment of the GPF (general provident fund) amount when sought and delays in reimbursement of medical bills are forcing teachers to visit the state secretariat repeatedly. These also affect the attendance of teachers.

The 0.31 percent increase in the budget is too meagre in view of the promotions, pending DA (dearness allowance) and other pending bills. The much-vaunted Mana Ooru Mana Badi programme not receiving any special allocation is a serious letdown after so much hype around it, the TPTF said in a statement after the budget.

Political slugfest over appointments in universities 

The Telangana government which had left the functioning of universities to IAS officers sans vice-chancellors for many years waded into yet another controversy by choosing to constitute a board for the recruitment of faculty in varsities. The board would consist of a commissioner collegiate of education, finance secretary and education secretary. These officials are also part of the university executive council, which has to approve all appointments of assistant and associate professors.

There are voices in the state which say IAS officers cannot be given the power in the appointment of faculty to universities, given that they may not carry the academic inclination as opposed to senior academicians. It is against the norms of the University Grants Commission (UGC) which mandates that the interviewer should be qualified with 10 to 15 years of teaching experience.

If someone approaches the court about the current practice of appointment of faculty members, there is all likelihood that courts may cancel such practice and also appointments made by IAS officers due to non-compliance with UGC norms.

According to B. Manohar, president of the Osmania University Teachers Association, the “excuse” that vice-chancellors earlier were found corrupt hence IAS officers have been given the charge is not fair. “What is the guarantee that IAS officers will be fair?” asks Manohar.

As the government mulls constituting a board to streamline faculty appointments in universities by bringing in some kind of written test and other entry requirements, the issue, for now, is caught in a political slugfest between the TRS government and governor Tamilasai Soundararajan. The bill approving the formation of the board has not received the assent of the governor, who said that she will write to the UGC to ensure that all norms are adhered to.

Meanwhile, the state government has not made any effort to clear court cases by those who have been teaching on a contract basis for 10 to 15 years now. Those appointments were not made as per the roster system following reservation and other norms, Manohar alleged.

On the other hand, opposition parties in the state allege that the controversy around the formation of a board has been “created”, as the state government does not want to fill vacancies in varsities.

G. Ram Mohan is a freelance journalist. He can be contacted on Twitter at @mnirm.