Telangana inter exams: Govt schools steal the thunder

HYDERABAD: For the first time, students from Telangana’s government colleges outperformed those from private institutions in the second-year intermediate examination, results for which were released on Friday. While the average pass percentage of government college students was as high as 81%, the overall pass percentage of students from private colleges stood at a significantly lower 69% — one percent lower than the pass percentage of government junior colleges.
The results of other government-aided institutions were equally heartening. Continuing its good run, the Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions secured the highest pass percentage of 87%, followed Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) with 86%. Even the Telangana Residential Educational Institutions Society saw 81% of its students bag passing marks.

While lauding their performance, education minister Kadiyam Srihari attributed the poor results of private institutes to the lack of recreational activities they offer. “Private and corporate colleges have failed to live up to their expectations. After seeing the results, parents should now stop considering it as a status symbol to send their wards to private institutions,” said Srihari.

Dismissing the analysis, private college representatives claimed that the results were in favour of government colleges because of ‘self-centres’. “Students of at least 40 government colleges appeared for the exam from their colleges. This had a major impact,” said Satish G, honorary president, Telangana Private Junior Colleges Association.

Corporate colleges too made light of the trend. They insisted that there was no comparison between them and other colleges as the pass percentage in their institutes was above 95%. “The average pass percentage of private colleges has dropped because we have been wrongly clubbed with small private institutions that have not fared too well. This figure is not reflective of the performance of our students,” said P Prameela, head of academics, Narayana Group of Institutions.

Regarding Srihari’s comment on a jail-like regime followed by corporate colleges, Sushma Boppana, academic director, Sri Chaitanya Group of Institutions said: “Every day we allow residential students a two-hour break to indulge in recreational activities. Day scholars leave by 4:30pm and have enough time to take up a hobby and relax.” She said the overall pass percentage of Sri Chaitanya students was above 96%.