Education crisis in Telangana: A call for reform

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy voiced serious concerns over the state’s education sector while addressing the Legislative Council. He emphasised the need for comprehensive reforms, highlighting that despite significant financial investment—Rs. 55,000-60,000 per student annually and over Rs. 1 lakh for residential students—the state continues to struggle with inadequate infrastructure and poor learning outcomes.

ASER report

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024, published by the Pratham Foundation, paints a bleak picture of foundational literacy in Telangana. The report indicates a sharp decline in students’ reading abilities over the past decade. In 2014, 12.2% of third graders could read a second-grade text, a figure that plummeted to 6.8% by 2024. Among fifth graders, literacy rates fell from 53.7% in 2014 to 29.3% in 2024, while eighth graders saw a decline from 73.9% to 50.8% over the same period.

Similar downward trends were observed in arithmetic skills.

Digital divide persists despite advancements

The report also highlights a persistent lack of access to computers in Telangana schools.

In 2010, 90.7% of schools lacked computers; by 2024, this number had slightly increased to 91.1%. Furthermore, active student usage of computers remains alarmingly low at just 3.9%.

The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2023-24 report underscores additional digital infrastructure deficiencies.

While 89.1% of government schools have electricity, only 21.9% have internet access—significantly lower than India’s national average of 46.2%.

Private schools fare better, with 84.8% having internet facilities. This stark digital divide threatens to leave government school students ill-equipped for the technology-driven job market.

Education in the era of AI

As artificial intelligence transforms industries, Telangana’s education system remains unprepared to equip students with essential digital skills. Although the state has a higher-than-average computer availability rate of 74% (compared to India’s 50%), the lack of internet connectivity and underutilization of devices impede meaningful digital learning. Only 2.8% of government schools have laptops, 16.7% have desktops, and just 18.3% feature smart classrooms—figures that trail behind other states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala, and Karnataka, where over 80% of government schools have internet access.

Digital divide and employability

The digital gap disproportionately affects students from marginalised communities who rely on government schools.

Limited access to digital tools and internet connectivity puts them at a disadvantage compared to their private school counterparts, who develop essential tech skills early. Experts warn that the future job market will favor tech-savvy professionals, further exacerbating socio-economic disparities.

Of Telangana’s 2.78 million government school students—1.05 million in primary, 543,181 in secondary, and 304,174 in higher secondary—most lack digital access. Nationwide, 127.49 million government students face similar challenges, with only 50.5% of schools offering computer facilities.

Path forward: Bridging the digital gap

Despite leading in computer and tablet availability, Telangana lags in internet access, science labs, and digital libraries. To address this imbalance, the state must significantly invest in digital infrastructure, ensuring reliable internet, functional science labs, and accessible digital libraries.

(The authors are a Senior Research Fellow and an Assistant Professor at CESS, Hyderabad, Telangana)