Alternate educational policy is needed: Sitaram Yechury

Tirupati: CPM polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury urged teachers to fight for alternative policies in educational sector. He said that apart from fighting for their rights, teachers should also fight for right educational system, especially to promote government-run educational institutes. He, as the chief guest, inaugurated UTF (United Teachers Federation) state level conference held in NTR stadium in Tirupati on Saturday. In his inaugural address, Yechury observed that many government schools are facing problems and were on the verge of closure. He criticised the government for neglecting its own schools and encouraging private schools by diluting the Right to Education Act. He also faulted the allocation of funds and reserving 25 % of seats to children of poor people in private educational institutions, which is nothing but degrading of government schools and encouraging private schools. Yechury said the government needs Rs 35,000 crores per annum and about Rs 1.75 lakh crores for five years for the effective implementation of RTE, which is equal to the amount involved in 2G scam. Stating that the government points out financial crunch as the reason for the zero implementation of the RTE Act at ground level, he said if only the government could prevent this scam, people could enjoy the RTE at maximum level. The real face of the Union government could be understood as it is giving tax concessions to big business shots, industrialists, rich persons and MNCs and hiking petro prices and levying taxes on poor and common people. He suggested cancellation of tax concessions to rich people, which caused the government to face fiscal deficit. The amount of tax concession is about Rs 5.76 lakh crores and the financial deficit is about Rs 5.21 lakh crores, he pointed. As this is the real situation the teachers should be aware of the existing policies of the State and the Central governments to fight for the right educational policy to benefit the real poor students and to prevent school drop outs, he suggested. MLC and Prof K Nageswar, CPM state secretary BV Raghavulu, teachers of UTF and MLCs attended the conference. Earlier, teachers took out a massive rally from NTR stadium to RTC bus stand.

India can't become super power: BV Raghavulu CPM state secretary BV Raghavulu said that India can't become Super Power unless it provides qualitative education to all apart from providing health and livelihood. During the past two decades the standards in our education system diluted and privatization created a wide gap between rich and poor, he said. Addressing the teachers at UTF conference, he said about 92 per cent of children is studying in government schools in USA, but the situation in the State is different. The literacy rate is only 61 per cent in the State against the country's average of 74 per cent, he pointed. Students of poor families only are studying in government schools, many of which lack basic amenities like drinking water, play ground, class rooms, toilets and faculty staff. Neither TDP nor Congress government took any steps in improving standards of education as well as developing government schools, he criticised. Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy also criticised the government for neglecting the public schools. Chairman of 20-Point Programme Tulasi Reddy assured the development of government schools and improving the quality of education.