In a bid to provide career counselling to students after Class X, the Commissioner and Director of School Education has issued detailed guidelines and instructed District Education Officers (DEOs) to ensure that all schools in the State conduct orientation programme based on these guidelines for parents and students.

It details the different courses available after completion of Class X. These include courses offered by the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education, polytechnic courses, short term courses, those offered by the Telangana State Open Society (TOSS), etc. 

The initiative has received thumbs up from teachers and educationists, who have lauded the department for not just focusing on conventional courses but also on vocational ones. “Most intermediate colleges only have the popular BiPC and MPC courses. The government needs to ensure that all courses are available in private colleges and that colleges even motivate students to take up these courses,” said Sheik Shabbir Ali of Telangana Private Teachers Association.

With only two options available, students are taking up medicine or engineering, pay huge donations to buy seats and then either get detained or remain unemployed after graduating.  

Shobhan Babu, a government school teacher, appreciated the initiative and said that it will give students an opportunity to identify careers based on courses for which they have aptitude. “Local demands, requirements of the family and financial conditions are the other aspects that can be taken into consideration by students if they are made aware about options available,” he said.

Vasireddy Amarnath, principal of Slate the School, said that career planning after class X should focus on what the student is capable of and what holds his interest.