Replicable
Residential Schools of Telangana
Vanam Jwala
Narasimha Rao
Metro India (21-09-2016)
By securing
40 seats in Medicine and 20 seats in BDS in the EAMCET 2016 results, students of
Telangana
Social Welfare Residential Educational institutions (TSWREI) brought
laurels to the system and Telangana Government. In addition to this students
from TSWREI also
secured 25 seats in Central University, 6 in TISS, 11 in Azim Premji
Institutions, 45 in IITs and NITs and five in CA courses.
Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on knowing this
commendable performance of TSWREI children decided to increase their number catering to not only SC and
ST but also to minorities. Accordingly CM issued instructions to
start 89 more residential schools exclusively for the minorities in addition to
the already existing 71 (39 for boys and 32 for
girls) making a total of 160 to provide education for nearly 60, 000
students to begin with. In fact a decision was taken earlier to establish 120 minority
residential schools one in each assembly constituency and the number is now increased
in view of tremendous response from the students of minority community to study
in these institutions. In these schools students will be admitted in classes 5,
6 and 7 and gradually every academic year next standard classes will be added. Telangana Minorities Residential Educational
Institutions Society (TMREIS) will manage these schools. The
literacy rate, especially among Muslims, was very less and the dropout rate was
very high and hence it needs corrective measures says CM. Provision of better
education through residential school system and adequate employment
opportunities are the only way to improve their standards of living says CM.
Earlier on the
occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Chief
Minister announced 100 new residential institutions and 30 Residential Degree
Colleges for girls and boys exclusively for the marginalized sections to be run
under the TSWREI Society from the academic year 2016-17. In addition CM also
said that for ST children 50 more will be started from the same academic year.
All these would be started phase wise.
The Government of Telangana recognized the pivotal role of the Society
in shaping the future of the marginalized people. The visionary Chief Minister
who gives top priority to the education of the downtrodden people was greatly
impressed by the path-breaking transformational work done by the Society. Towards introducing free
and compulsory KG to PG education system, an election manifesto promise, the
TRS Government has initiated establishing more and more Residential Schools for
SCs and STs as well as minorities in the State. Chief Minister also said that an extraordinary generation would be
made out of these residential institutions in future. The human resources that
would be developed from out of these institutions will be a model for the country
as well as to the entire world says CM.
There were already
135 Residential Institutions functioning under the control of Telangana
Social Welfare Residential Educational institutions (TSWREI) Society which has been managing the residential
schools in the state with student strength of 76714. In
addition 74 schools for Scheduled Castes, 23 for BCs and 47 for others (Total
279) were also functioning before the formation of Telangana state. With the
announcement of 89 more residential schools exclusively for the minorities the
total number of residential institutions after the formation of Telangana would
be 480-for SCs 103, for STs 51, SC Girls residential colleges 30, for
minorities 160, for BCs 120 schools and 16 junior colleges. In all by next
academic year there would be about a record number of 760 residential
institutions benefiting about 2.3 Lakhs children to begin with.
TSWREIS has been
ahead of the rest of its counterparts since its inception in all the scholastic
and co-scholastic activities and competitions. The Society emerged as an
independent entity in the month of June 2014 soon after the formation of
Telangana State. Ever since its formation, it has been cruising along the path
of glory, catering to the dire educational needs of the poor children hailing
from remote areas and having the least access to quality education. The
objective of the TSWREI Society is to provide qualitative education to the
children belonging to Scheduled Castes and other weaker sections.
Dr.
R.S. Praveen Kumar, a senior officer of Indian Police Service has voluntarily chosen
to serve the society and has been rendering great service to the
under-privileged community ever since he took charge as its secretary. He himself is a product of Social
Welfare Hostels. He took inspiration from his mother who from a stage of daily
wage earner in her childhood grown to the level of an associate professor and a
doctor. Dr Praveen’s desire grew further stronger after he met many inspiring
people in Harvard University during his graduation. He always says that he is ever
grateful to Chief Minister KCR for his affection, trust, and confidence to
entrust him with the mammoth task of transformation of lakhs of lives under the
prestigious KG-PG Mission and making the policy as a national model for other
states to emulate.
Education is universally recognized as an
important factor that would help the poor and marginalized sections escape the
trap of poverty. Telangana decided to bust the blend of poverty, inferiority,
and perpetual exploitation by educating the marginalized children in a
faultless network where the teacher gets into the role of a parent. Residential
education as an intervention has been yielding excellent results pursuing the
mission of nurturing the dreams of the meritorious and talented children among
the marginalized population.
The most important feature of these schools is
their popularity in the state, despite rapid privatization of school education
and growing concerns about quality of public schooling in the country.
Government of Telangana decided to expand these residential schools to every
mandal owing to the surge in demand.
Results of these residential schools in board
examinations have always been 15% higher than the state average. These schools
have been successful in sending thousands of their students to all professions
including All India Services, doctors, engineers, scientists, politics,
business, and even to Mount Everest. In the last 10 years alone, these schools
have sent more than 200 students to IITs, NITs, and Medical/Dental colleges.
As part of these institutions each school is a
complex that is provided with a school building, a dormitory, kitchen-cum-dining
hall, staff quarters, and a playground. Students, once join, are allowed to
meet the parents only once in a month and go home only during vacation.
Teachers stay in the campus to handhold the students in both curricular and
co-curricular activities and provide all care round the clock. The State
government bears cost of entire education. After the graduation from XII grade,
the government provides the students both shelter in post-Matric hostels and
scholarship till they finish post graduation. Teachers, besides curricular
activities, also play the role of mentors and parents by inculcating right
values with great care every day.
Replication of this Telangana model in any
state or country is just simple and when done it would be highly rewarding.
Residential education may not cover entire needy population of marginalized
sections in this country, but it certainly caters to the needs of talented, but
poor children in the communities. These children, when nurtured in a safe,
stable, and structured ecosystem, grow as leaders who not only can uplift their
families, but also lead their communities into brighter future. End
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