Hyderabad: It could be curtains for over 400 government day schools in the coming academic year with the state government shifting its entire focus on residential schools to provide quality education to the poor for free. The government plans to spend as much as Rs 1.05 lakh per year on each student, on par with the corporate school spending on a child.
Enrolment in day schools is expected to dip with parents shifting their wards to residential schools to avail free schooling and boarding facility. When first started, residential schools gained instant acceptance with parents as they need to pay just '25 refundable caution deposit for admission. In return, the government provides free education, uniform, shoes, hostel and mess facility.
Following the massive response, the government set up over 500 residential schools for BCs, SCs, STs and minorities in the last two years at an annual cost of Rs 18,000 crore — creating a record of sorts in the process.
Residential schools are a ‘pet scheme’ of Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao. Consequently, miniters and officials have been monitoring the functioning of schools and submitting reports to the CM every week.
Deputy CM and education minister Kadiam Srihari said, “Over 2.81 lakh students enrolled in residential schools in the last two years. We expect this number to double next year. Parents are shifting children from government schools to residential schools. There is a migration of students even from private schools in districts. With this, the competition for seats is severe with at least five students competing for one seat now.”
The CM had announced earlier that the government would cover every mandal in the state with a residential school by next academic year. Currently, admissions are given for Class V, VI and VII, which will be extended to Class XII eventually.
