HYDERABAD: A top-priority directive to shift all government institutions operating from rented premises to government-owned buildings by December 31 has thrown government schools in Hyderabad into uncertainty, with teachers and parents warning of falling enrolments, higher dropouts and infrastructure gaps.
Hyderabad has 105 government schools functioning from private buildings — 87 primary and 18 high schools — most of them in the Old City areas of Bahadurpura, Charminar, Asifnagar, Tolichowki and Golconda.
Concerns escalated after the School Education department issued proceedings asking officials to relocate these schools to government premises.
According to the proceedings, the Director of School Education has instructed that all government offices, corporations, societies and schools functioning from private rented buildings must shift to government-owned premises by December 31.
Deputy Educational Officers and Deputy Inspectors of Schools in Hyderabad district have been asked to make alternative arrangements for schools operating from private buildings and submit a detailed report.
Teachers say the directive overlooks ground realities. With a severe shortage of government buildings in the city, particularly in the Old City, relocating schools within their zone is proving difficult.
Shifting them outside neighbourhoods, they warn, could lead to a drop in enrolment, increased dropouts, staff shortages and inadequate facilities. Community halls, they said, cannot accommodate students.
Sources said the decision was driven by mounting rent arrears, with nearly Rs 1.5 crore unpaid to private building owners since 2024. While the Education department sanctioned a partial amount, the funds are reportedly stuck in the Finance department approval process.
Parents echoed the concerns, saying relocation outside the area would force them to move their children to nearby private or government schools. “If the government plans to run buses, it may help, but shifting schools far away will only push students out,” a parent said.
Ahmed Khan, in-charge headmaster of a government school in Bahadurpura, told TNIE that the directive had come as a shock. “We were already struggling with infrastructure issues and unpaid rent. Now we are being asked to shift, but where are the government buildings in the city? So far, there is only a general instruction to make alternative arrangements. A sudden relocation will create chaos,” he said.
A government school staff member from the Old City said the timing of the announcement was particularly worrying.
“It is the peak of the academic year. Any shift now will disrupt classes and create avoidable problems. The government should first conduct a proper inspection and then take an informed decision,” they added.
The story is reported by Meghna Nath of The New Indian Express