“These children will become the future of this country, and everyone has the right to education and the right to attend school. Unfortunately, the Telangana Chief Minister, who also happens to be the Education Minister, is closing government schools for one reason or another,” he added.

His remarks come amid controversy over CM Revanth Reddy’s reported plan regarding the restructuring of government schools, including consolidation measures involving thousands of institutions across Telangana.

According to reports, concerns have been raised over proposals linked to closing schools in villages and hamlets and consolidating around 27,000 schools into approximately 4,000 larger institutions.

The issue has triggered criticism from political leaders and civil society groups, who argue that such a move could impact access to education in rural areas.

Reacting to the developments, Telangana Save Education Committee (TSEC) leader G. Haragopal said the proposal was “deeply unfortunate” and warned it could undermine the presence of schools in rural communities.

The Chief Minister’s remarks on closing schools in villages and hamlets and consolidating 27,000 schools into 4,000 are deeply unfortunate, said Telangana Save Education Committee (TSEC) leader G. Haragopal.

The presence of a government school in every village is essential to building a humane and inclusive society, he said, and demanded that CM Reddy immediately retract the statements.

The group urged the government to prioritise education funding, calling for increased investment in the sector. The government must allocate 20 per cent of its budget to the education sector to develop all government schools in the state and ensure the provision of quality, equitable and free education for all, the TSEC has appealed.

The controversy has intensified political debate in Telangana, with opposition leaders accusing the government of weakening access to basic education, while civil society groups continue to press for stronger protection and expansion of government school infrastructure across the state.

–IANS

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