Hyderabad: The Telangana state government created a record on Monday by opening 169 residential schools in a single day for students from SC, ST, BC and minority categories.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao congratulated the officials concerned for their efforts in successfully launching the new schools on the very first day of the new academic year on Monday.
Mr Rao said 169 schools were opened out of the planned 255 schools across the state, aimed at imparting free quality education on par with corporate schools for SC/ST/BC and minority students.
He called upon the students who joined these schools to take inspiration from Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar and come up in life.
He said he is happy that as per the promise given in the election manifesto, the KG-to-PG free education for the weaker and backward section children has begun with the starting of residential schools.
He said that before the formation of the state there were only 259 residential schools for SC/ST/BC and minorities. Now within the three years, the Telangana government has increased the number to 527. He said the government will soon increase these schools to 786.
Half of the residential schools are exclusively meant for girls — to encourage them, provide facilities and protection.
The government will be spending Rs 1.25 lakh per year on each student on an average.
He said that in the government residential schools, education, meals and boarding is given to the students for free.
The CM said that his aim is to enable even the poor student to get quality education and attain higher positions in society.
He said that the government has started residential schools in a big way with English as the medium of instruction so that students who passed out of these institutions could compete with others in the country.
The CM also said that students who passed out of the social welfare residential schools are getting good ranks in the entrance tests like the Eamcet, IIT and getting into prestigious institutions in the country.
