Now, govt schools in Telangana too flout norms to offer coaching to kids under 16

Hyderabad: While corporate schools continue to flout the Union education ministry guidelines prohibiting competitive exam coaching for students under 16, now even govt institutes have joined the bandwagon to offer coaching for IIT, EAPCET, NEET etc., for students from class 8.

Like private schools, govt schools too are now using coaching as a means to attract new admissions by advertising these under ‘Jayashankar Badi Bata’ programme – an enrolment drive conducted by the state to improve admissions in govt schools in Telangana.

“Give wide publicity about IIIT, NEET, JEE coaching to IX, X, XI and XII class students,” said the guidelines released under the ‘Jayashankar Badi Bata’ programme.

Apart from this, even the Telangana Social Welfare Educational Society (TGSWREIS) recently tied up with a third party to provide competitive exams coaching along with other training to students.

“From 2025-26, foundation courses are extended from class 8 in nine TGSWR Institutions. Through this five-year induction course, the target is to get 500 seats in IITs and 600 MBBS seats,” said secretary VS Alagu Varsini recently at a meet organised to publicise the initiatives of the society.

Similar programmes are also being offered by other societies for school students to ensure their children get ranks in class 12 or Intermediate.

Teachers, meanwhile, said there was nothing much they can do as the govt is asking them to take coaching or foundation classes.

“The resistance should come from parents. Unless they start questioning the need for conducting coaching classes, there is nothing we can do,” said M Ravindra, a high school mathematics teacher working in a govt school, adding that teachers are already burdened with training, orientation, and other programmes.

Parents, on their part, are not enthused by the move to burden children.

“Instead of stopping private schools from violating norms, the govt has started coaching classes in state-run institutes. What’s the difference between them and corporate colleges who are advertising students’ ranks to get admission? This should be stopped immediately,” said Venkat Sainath K, organising secretary of Hyderabad Schools Parents’ Association.