Hyderabad, April 3 Expressing concern over a decline in the quality of education, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said on Friday that the state government is taking steps to improve the quality and strengthen education in state-run schools.
Speaking at the inauguration of a private school on the outskirts of the city Friday night, he cited the findings of a study that a large number of sixth-grade students are unable to read books from the third grade.
"According to a survey among Class 6 students, only 6.7 per cent of students can read their class books. The remaining 93 per cent in the class can only read books from the third grade," he said.
The state government is spending Rs 1.08 lakh on every student, and 8.3 per cent of the budget is allocated to education, he said.
The chief minister said the state government will introduce nursery, LKG, and UKG from the next academic year, as students who enroll in private schools for pre-primary classes are unlikely to subsequently enroll in government schools.
In some government schools, there are nine teachers for only five students, he said.
Observing that schools, colleges, and universities have spread extensively, he said that quality education, including technical knowledge, is key.
He also highlighted that the government is setting up Young India Integrated Residential Schools and Young India Skills University, with an emphasis on education and skills development.