As per orders from Telangana's Director of School Education issued on Monday, July 24, schools across the state, except for Hyderabad and Secunderabad, will begin at 9.30 am, which is the same as the time high schools commence. Primary schools will run till 4.15 pm and upper primary schools till 4.45 pm. The order added that this decision has been taken for students' benefit, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
"In the case of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, there is no change in the timings of school and hence will follow the timings as given in the academic calendar," the order read.
This decision is raising concerns among parents and students alike. Fearing a negative impact on the enrollment of students in government schools, Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF) has opposed this decision.
Chava Ravi, General Secretary, TSUTF, said that the timings of the schools that are now followed were arrived upon based on the Right to Education (RTE) Act and a detailed survey. He informed The New Indian Express that in rural areas, parents drop children off at schools before heading to work.
“Even a minor change in timings, such as 30 minutes, could create difficulties for parents, compelling them to consider enrolling their children in private schools," he said.
Unlike government buses, private schools offer early morning commute facilities to students.
The General Secretary stressed that any change in hours should have involved forming an expert committee and gathering opinions from stakeholders like students and parents before arriving upon a decision. He said that the decision might be good for a few teachers but not for students and parents, in general. He asked the Education Department to withdraw the order.
