Role of NGOs in School Education Upsets Teachers

Hyderabad:Growing involvement of non-government organisations in government schools is raising concerns among teachers, who warn that it could quietly push public education towards privatisation while core issues remain unresolved.

The Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF) said increasing reliance on private platforms and NGOs for classroom teaching was weakening the role of trained teachers and diverting attention from basic needs of government schools. “Instead of strengthening infrastructure and appointing one teacher for every classroom, the focus has shifted to tying up with external agencies,” said state president Chava Ravi.

Federation leaders told media persons on Thursday that agreements with platforms such as PhysicsWallah and Khan Academy had yielded little benefit. “Teachers are being restricted, while ready-made content is pushed into classrooms. Quality education cannot be outsourced,” Ravi said.

The federation also flagged the burden of non-teaching work on teachers. General secretary E Venkat said teachers were being pulled into constant online reporting and administrative tasks. “Let teachers teach. Assign non-teaching staff for online reports and free teachers from clerical work,” he said.

Another major concern raised was the continued delay in resolving issues linked to the Teacher Eligibility Test. Venkat said the Union government had not responded to the Supreme Court verdict delivered four months back. “Around 45,000 candidates in Telangana and nearly 25 lakh across the country are affected. The silence is worrying,” he said, adding that national-level teacher unions were preparing coordinated protests.

The federation announced that a state-level education conference and extended state committee meetings will be held in Jangaon on December 28 and 29. Issues relating to government policies, conditions in public schools and teachers’ demands will be discussed to chart a future course of action, the leaders said.

Teachers urged both the Centre and the state government to protect public education. “Government schools should not be reduced to testing grounds for private models. Strengthening the system from within is the only way forward,” Ravi told Deccan Chronicle.