Govt not consulting parents, teachers, students: ex MLC
Wholesale destruction began with Praja Vedika
AMARAVATI: TDP former MLC A.S. Ramakrishna on Saturday strongly criticised the YSRCP Government for ‘conspiring’ to destroy the aided educational institutions in the State with total disregard for the needs and sentiments of the students and parents.
Ramakrishna advised Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy to think carefully before bringing down an educational system that was born out of the recommendations of an expert committee way back in 1854. They started giving aid to schools and colleges so that it would create educational opportunities for the poor and middle class sections in society.
Addressing a press conference here, the TDP leader deplored that the Government was trying to use the bad performance of one or two institutions as an excuse to wind up the aided concept altogether. On the one hand, the Government said that the teachers working in aided institutions were better than those in the Government colleges. On the other hand, over 16,000 aided staff were shifted to the Government institutions unilaterally.
Ramakrishna strongly objected to the manner in which the ruling YSRCP was trying to kill the aided institutions without considering their unforgettable contribution to the educational needs of the people for decades.Thousands and lakhs of students got a better future after studying at these institutions. The Government was praising aided colleges on the one side and damaging them on the other side. Nobody was able to guess why this Government was resorting to such extreme actions.
The TDP leader said that the Government did not take the opinions of the people before taking a final decision on taking over aided colleges. There was no reply on how many college managements that the Government-appointed Ratna Kumari Committee has met. Wider consultations should have been made with the students, teachers and parents as well but that had not happened. Based on reports of such a committee, the Government issued draconian GOs 41, 50 and 51.
Ramakrishna expressed concern over the looming uncertainty on the future careers of the aided teachers who were transferred to the Government colleges. Without any prior plan, the aided teachers were asked to report to the RJD offices. They had duly followed these orders. Now, there was no clarity about where these teachers have been adjusted or posted. There was uncertainty over how their salaries, transfers and promotions would be taken up.
The TDP leader said that the Government not only jeopardised the interests of the aided teachers but also filled darkness in the lives of over 5 lakh students who were studying in the aided colleges. In a very atrocious manner, the Government has created such a terrible situation that the aided managements were not trying to protect the interests of the aided teachers and their students. The mindless destruction that began with Praja Vedika has now brought down even the aided educational system in the State.
Ramakrishna termed it as objectionable that over 750 contract lecturers were suddenly removed from service in the Government degree colleges. All this happened after the aided teachers were taken over by the Government from the aided institutions. The Chief Minister conveniently forgot his election promise that he would regularise the posts of contract lecturers after coming to power.
