AP to saffronise education

Model schools to teach Sanatana Dharma

Hyderabad: On the lines of BJP ruled States which tampered with the syllabus prescribed by the NCERT to infuse orthodox Hindu `values’ and to appease BJP, the Telugu Desam Party is planning to introduce Hindu religious codes in the schools covertly.

To begin with the first phase in this effort, the endowment department of AP government is proposing to set up model school in all the 13 districts from the next academic year as it calls a mission to protect and propagate the Hindu Sanatana Dharma.

The schools would be set up with the contributions made by the devotees but the department would bear the maintenance costs. The minister for endowments P Manikyala Rao, however, did not clarify who would be the likely donors and their quantum of donations.

Announcing this at a press conference held in his chambers here on Monday, he said the medium of instruction would be English and the schools would have a standard of teaching and faculty pattern on par with the corporate schools now existing in the State.

“But it would be mandatory for all the students to have Sanatana Dharma as a subject from LKG to SSC level. And the remaining subjects will be affiliated to CBSE syllabus,’’ the minister said.

This announcement means, only children belonging to Hindu community would be enrolling in these schools. Though the minister did not clarify on the admission process, he said all the modalities were being worked out with the experts so as to make the schools best in the State.

Asked how the schools would attract the students when the attendance has been thinning in Veda Pathasalas across the State, Rao said though the department was spending Rs 3 lakh on each student on Veda Pathasala the students were running away as they felt the education and the dress code were too traditional.