Telangana: 10 Student Suicides in Govt Residential Schools Since June 12

Hyderabad:Around 10 students have died by suicide in government residential institutions since June 12 when they reopened. Most were under 17, living far from their families.

Two students died this week alone, one from a KGBV hostel in Suryapet, and another from the BC Gurukul School in Toopranpet. A ninth grader in Mancherial survived an attempt to die by suicide. Earlier, a 17-year-old in a social welfare junior college in Shaikpet died. Several families said their children could not cope with isolation, strict routines, or hostel conditions.

In many of these institutions, children as young as 10 are expected to adjust to institutional life without emotional scaffolding. “Students after joining are struggling to be in residential institutions. When they stay away from home, parents often visit and bring food from outside, which is not allowed. But it shows how unprepared children are for hostel life,” said P. Madhusudan Reddy, president of the Junior Colleges Lecturers Association.

He added that most suicides could be avoided with proper mental health support. “Committee recommendations like those by Neeradha Reddy and Prof. Chakrapani have never been implemented.”

Many hostels operate from rented buildings with poor sanitation, broken dormitories, and limited toilets. A teacher from a tribal welfare residential school described a typical routine. “They wake at 5, bathe and get ready by 7. Bathrooms are few, maybe 30 or 40 for all students. Breakfast is at 7.15, prayer at 8, then classes till 12.45 with only ten minutes of break. After lunch at 1.45, study hours go on till 4.30. Then a short warm-up, dinner, and evening study till 9.30.”

He added, “I wouldn’t want my own child in this kind of system. They’re not preparing for civil services, they’re just kids.”

Teachers, often overburdened and underpaid, double as wardens and counsellors. K. Narendar Reddy, retired lecturer and founder of TSWRTEA, said, “In these welfare institutions, teachers are burdened with teaching, hostel duties and counselling responsibilities. There are no proper trained counsellors. One student recently died because she couldn’t adjust to hostel life.”

E. Raghunandan from Balala Hakkula Sankshema Sangham said hostels failed even on basic hygiene. “Toilets and bathrooms are in terrible condition. There’s too much pressure on students. The government claims inspections happen, but they come only once or twice a year or when complaints are made. There is no proper system. Andhra Pradesh has a commission that conducts surprise hostel checks. Telangana needs something like that.”

The state government claims some efforts have been made. According to a few department officials, teachers had undergone 4 to 5 sessions of counselling training at the Marri Channa Reddy Human Resource Development Institute and at the Telangana Rural Development Academy by a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) trainer.

However, child rights groups and staff said such training was inadequate. “These teachers are not trained to handle psychological issues. Some are casteist and humiliate students. There are no real counsellors, and even the few in place are unqualified,” said Raghunandan.

A teacher from a welfare school confirmed the same. “We are assigned as counsellors with a 1:20 teacher-student ratio. But we’re not psychologists. Students come from different backgrounds, many carry trauma. We can’t deal with everything.”

Dr P. Jawaharlal Nehru, senior psychologist with Tele Manas, said, “A person who dies by suicide doesn't want to die. Suicide is a cry to live. When children live away from their parents, they often face separation anxiety. These children need someone who understands emotion, not just textbooks. That is the job of an emotional behaviour counsellor, not a school teacher.”