Parents of 300 girl students studying in Telangana Minority Residential Education School (TMREIS) at Charminar have raised objections to the government's decision to move the school from Shahlibanda to Malakpet Gunj on grounds of security and sanitation in the area. The government proposes to board the students of three minority residential schools for girls at Shahlibada, Golkonda and Saidabad to the new facility which it claims is an attempt to provide better facilities for the students.
"Some campuses are cramped and there is not enough space for the children to play or move around. Last year, to begin the schools at the earliest, we took buildings even if they did not match our requirement but we have been on the lookout for better places. As and when we get something better we relocate the schools," explained AK Khan, special officer for Telangana Minority Residential Schools.
As many as 71 residential schools for minorities were started in 2016. Encouraged by their success another 130 school were launched this year. Of these, 150-160 are functioning from leased buildings. Currently, seven buildings at the cost of Rs 19 crore are under construction. And are expected to be ready in two-three years. The government has also identified lands at 85 locations and at 50 places the acquisition have bee made.
Parents of the girls school at Shahlibanda, a majority of whom are from areas around Charminar, are not convinced with the explanation. It may be recalled that the government had faced initial hiccups in convincing parents of girls from Muslim families to enroll their daughters in residential schools. One of the major reasons that worked in the favour of TMREIS was that the hostels were located within the city. There are 39 hostels at 16 locations in the city where classes VI-VIII are conducted and are upgraded annually.
With the government mulling relocation, parents fear that they will not be able to meet their children as often. “For a majority of us the hostel is is in close vicinity. And we meet our children when we want. But with the relocation, a lot of parents will find it difficult to visit their daughter. I had admitted our daughters in the school because it was in Charminar. ‘Yeh sahuliyat ke naam par dhokha hai’(This is cheating the name of comfort),” said MMA Khalid, whose daughters study in classes VII and VIII.
Parents are also skeptical about the location of the new facility. Another parent said that there was a race course near the new building, therefore, “we fear there will be lots of mosquitoes in the area. There is also a mandi in close vicinity. How will they study in stench and mosquitoes?” said Farhat Abedi, a parent.
Abedi is also worried that the new building which will house students of three schools will be very cramped. Charminar students, parents said, have been allocated the third floor and the mess is in the basement. “We have been told that to manage the students. They have allotted timing when food will be served so at least three times a day they will have to climb three stories. The academic year has already begun so we can't even pull our children out of the school,” rued Khalid.
The school principal N Hussain told Express that there hasn't been an official confirmation on the issue yet. But she is not very hopeful that the parents' plea will be heard. “The students took time to adjust and now that they have, they are being relocated. It will, of course, have an impact on the students. They have become comfortable here. I had tried to convey the apprehensions of the parents to higher ups but they seem firm,” she said. Meanwhile, Khan has assured that no decision will taken without engaging in a dialogue with parents.
