Noted educationalists, including M. Kodanadaram and G. Haragopal, stressed the growing disparity between students’ aspirations for quality education and the resources provided by the current system.
They attributed this gap to the proliferation of private educational institutions and the declining support for universities. They called for urgent measures to strengthen the higher educational institutions, including the State run universities, in the State.
They were attending a state-level symposium titled ‘Status and strengthening of higher education in Telangana’ held on Monday at Kakatiya University in Warangal.
Chaired by president of Kakatiya University Retired Teachers Association (KURTA) A. Sadanandam, the event brought together around 200 delegates from various educational institutions and teachers’ unions.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Haragopal highlighted how globalisation and World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements transformed education into a commodity, veering away from its traditional societal role.
He called for a return to the ethos of education as a public good, with individuals contributing back to society. Mr. Kodanadaram urged the new government to heed the voices of educators and prioritise strengthening of universities through increased budget allocations and filling teaching vacancies.
Former chairman of TSCHE T. Papireddy stressed the need for aligning higher education with the demands of the job market to support the aspirations of educated youth.
Addressing the gathering, R. Limbadri presented data showing the disparities in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) across genders, castes and urban-rural divides, noting Telangana’s comparatively higher GER of 41% against the national average of 27%. However, he lamented the cessation of central funding for State universities, adversely impacting their operations.
Voicing concerns, vice-chancellor of KU Thatikonda Ramesh highlighted the stark disparity between NAAC standards and the available facilities, exacerbated by meagre budget allocations by the State government which is insufficient even for paying salaries.
Mr. Sadanandam urged stakeholders to collaboratively address these challenges and prepare a comprehensive document for submission to the government.
