Srihari pushes KG-to-PG scheme to national arena

HYDERABAD: Chief Minster K Chandrashekar Rao’s pet project: free KG to PG education, is likely to be on the national agenda soon. Deputy CM Kadiyam Srihari, who also holds the education portfolio, has proposed free KG to PG education as a measure to promote girls’ education in the country.

The minister, while addressing a meeting of the Committee of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) to look into the issues related to girls education, said that free and compulsory education up to PG is the way ahead to promote girls’ education and arrest social evils of child marriage.  

“Telangana has already established SC and ST and women residential hostels. The same needs to be implemented across the country. Women’s Universities should be set up in all states. There is a need for more residential schools and colleges for girls so that the burden of their education falls on the government instead of parents,” he said.

CABE, which was meeting for the fourth time in the city after holding deliberations earlier at Gauhati, New Delhi, and Bhubaneswar, also proposed for increasing the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, which are currently operational from class VI to VIII to be extended till intermediate.

It has also been recommended to increase the intake of students enrolled in Model Schools from the current 100 to 200. Increasing the number of Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas throughout the country was also proposed.

The interim report will be submitted by CABE to the HRD minister Prakash Javadekar during its next meeting scheduled for 16 January.