Stating that education is not only for knowledge but it gives a social status, the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that Telangana government is laying more emphasis on giving financial security for the backward classes and working towards their welfare.
Making a statement in the Legislative Assembly today on Residential Schools for BC’s development, he recalled Mahatma Jotirao Phule’s statement that the first step of BC’s development is Education, and added that from the beginning, the Government was of the firm view that free education should be given to the weaker sections of the society from KG to PG. “Accordingly, we have stated in our election manifesto that we will set up Residential Educational Institutions with English as medium of instruction to the weaker sections and offer international standard education to them. After we came to power, we have started making steps in this direction”.
Residential Educational Institutions will bring in a notable change in the lives of the students for better. SC residential Educational Institutions have proved this. The state government has embarked upon setting up of Residential Educational Institutions in a big way in tune with the high ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Jotirao Phule. On the 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar, the state government has taken a historic decision of starting 130 Residential Schools for the SCs and 50 for the STs.
‘I am happy to announce that Residential Schools for the BCs will be started in a big way in the State. These schools will be named after Mahatma Jotirao Phule, who worked for the uplift of the weaker sections. In this regard, we have already started Mahatma Jotirao Phule Backward Classes Welfare Residential Schools Society. By the next Academic year, BC Residential Schools will be started in all the 119 Assembly segments. 76,160 Students will be enrolled in these schools’.
In the BC Residential Schools, 5th standard to Intermediate will be taught in English medium with high standards. For creating proper infrastructure, giving nutritious food, books and uniforms, the government is going to spend Rs 1.25 Lakh on each student. The quality of education given in these Residential Schools will be on par with the education being imparted through the Corporate schools where children of the rich study. No other State in the country, since Independence has ever thought of this concept. For the first time the Telangana State Government has taken this step of providing Residential Schools in a big way for the BCs, the Chief Minister said.
KCR further said that Mahatma Phule felt that through education wisdom is acquired, through wisdom morals and through morals development and through development wealth is acquired. The country attains true development when the weaker sections attain the prosperity. The Telangana State Government is taking steps to realise the dream of Mahatma Jotirao Phule and rededicates itself to his lofty ideals, he added. (NSS)