Still no takers for Govt schools!

In spite of a state-wide 'Badi Bata ‘campaign, enrolment falls below target

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

The Telangana School Education Department is facing an uphill task in achieving its enrolment target for government schools in the 2026–27 academic year, with admissions falling well short of expectations despite state-wide awareness campaigns and welfare initiatives.

The department had set an ambitious target of increasing enrolment in government schools by 10 per cent this academic year. Based on last year's total enrolment of 19.25 lakh students across nearly 25,000 government institutions—including regular government schools, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs), Model Schools and Residential Schools—it aimed to raise the student strength to 21.39 lakh.

However, official enrolment data compiled up to June 30 shows that only 17.73 lakh students had been admitted across the state. This leaves a gap of nearly 3.65 lakh students to achieve the target, making it increasingly difficult for the department to reach its goal. Reports citing School Education Department data indicate that officials themselves believe achieving the target under the present circumstances will be challenging.

To improve admissions, the government launched the statewide 'Badi Bata' campaign, under which teachers, education officials and district administrations conducted door-to-door visits to encourage parents to enrol their children in government schools. Public representatives also participated in the campaign to promote government education and reduce dropouts. The government has also introduced several welfare measures to attract students. Among them is the breakfast scheme, which is currently benefiting around 1.44 lakh students. However, other promised facilities are yet to reach schools. Distribution of shoes and belts has not begun in many places, while supply of uniforms is expected to take more than a month.

Education officials acknowledge that welfare schemes alone may not be sufficient to improve admissions. Parents are increasingly prioritising the quality of education, academic outcomes and English-medium instruction while choosing schools for their children. As a result, many families continue to prefer private institutions despite the incentives available in government schools.

Even if the department sets aside its revised target of 21.39 lakh admissions, matching last year's enrolment of 19.25 lakh has now become a major challenge. With admissions standing at 17.73 lakh as of June 30, the government still needs to enrol around 1.5 lakh more students simply to equal the previous academic year's strength.