We are not against the government schools : Shekhar Rao

Close on the heels of campaign launched by the government schools discouraging the parents from joining their wards into the private schools, where they would have to pay heavy fees, and instead avail all free facilities in the government sector schools, the private schools have launched a counter campaign through social media asking the parents to join their children in private schools for quality education.

The Telangana Recognized Schools Management Association (TRSMA) had prepared a social media message which points out that the Chief Minister’s grandchildren, Ministers children and grandchildren, civil servants like IAS, IPS officers, government officials, including the government teachers, join their wards only in private schools for quality education. Don’t get carried away by the free books, dress and midday meals and other incentives and spoil the bright future of the children by joining them in the government schools.

Students of private schools were topping in the all examinations, securing high GPA in SSC, securing admissions in IIT-JEE, IIIT and other reputed institutions without the government support. Further, private schools had the highest pass percentage. The budget private schools were striving hard to provide quality education to the students and providing employment to several unemployed in the state, the message claimed.

TRSMA State general secretary Y. Shekhar Rao said that they were forced to take up the social media campaign as the government schools were damaging the image of the private schools. “We are not against the government schools and freebies provided to the students, but we are asking the parents to think about the quality of education being provided in private educational institutions with accountability and complete transformation of student,” he said.“We have not done this campaign for enrolment alone, as already the private schools have higher enrolment than government schools,” he said and added that many students were shifting from government model and residential schools to join the private schools.

Telangana Rashtra Teachers Federation (TRTF) district president M. Prathap Reddy said that students from less privileged classes were joining the government schools for education and it was not fair on the part of private schools to insult them. The poor children, who are unable to pay the fees or purchase books and uniforms were joining the government schools, he said and He urged the TRSMA to withdraw their campaign.

Telangana State Teachers Union (TSTU) district general secretary D. Raghu Kumar said the private schools launched the campaign as they were scared of losing students as many parents are prefering to send their children to government schools for various freebies. However, he refused to comment about why the children of government teachers were studying in private schools.