Students should question faulty educational policies

Hanamkonda: There is an urgent need for the students unions to become strong to fight against the lopsided educational policies of State and Central governments, suggested a writer and retired professor Katyayani Vidmahe.

She said after the introduction of liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation policies in 1990 in the country education has become a business. The students unions should question such misdeed of the rulers. Katyayani addressed the inaugural session of Democratic Students Organisation (DSO) Telangana chapters’ two-day state council meetings, which began in Hanamkonda on Thursday.

The human relations have taken a beat in the higher educational institutions as education assumed commercial tone. In the past, there used to be cordial relations among the teachers and students in the universities. Lack of cordial atmosphere is having an adverse impact on the students and the society.

With the faulty policies and decisions of the government, education and medical services have become a premium and are now beyond reach for common people. The DSO should join hands with likeminded organisations in fighting against privatisation of education, the writer opined.

She expressed serious concern over the State and Central governments’ plans to encourage private and allow foreign universities. Education should not be privatised and measures to improve quality teaching in schools, colleges and universities have to be taken.

A bad trend of disparities between men and women, caste prejudices, teasing girl students has become rampant in universities. The suicide of students at universities across the country exemplifies such trends. The DSO activists have to take up a plan of action to address such problems, Katyayani said.

The government should stop suppressing voices of students who question their misdeeds, she added.

An associate professor from CKM College Mettu Ravinder averred that education should serve the objective of human development. But the conditions prevailing at higher educational institutions are in contrast to such objective.

The rulers are trying to divide the students on the basis of caste and creed. The State government which promised free KG to PG education and one lakh jobs to youth has failed to deliver the promise.

The governments are engaged in the task of producing educated ignorant. The fact that nearly 80 lakh educated youth lack employability skills proves it. The DSO should fight for the dissemination of scientific education, Ravinder pointed out.

Nearly 1,000 delegates from 31 districts of the State are attending the meeting. The DSO state general secretary J Upender, state executive member K Ravalika, leaders J Prasanna, Arsham Ashok and others are present.