Hyderabad: The Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF) has expressed dissatisfaction with the allocation of funds for the education sector in the state Budget.
Despite an increase of Rs 1,816 crores compared to last year’s budget, the education department has been allocated only 7.9% of the total budget.
TSUTF criticized this allocation, stating that it is insufficient to strengthen the government education sector.
TSUTF expresses disappointment
The TSUTF state committee expressed disappointment over the allocations, questioning how revolutionary changes can be implemented in the education sector with such inadequate funding.
“If the government claims to develop the public education sector to international standards while simultaneously allocating insufficient funds, how can this goal be achieved?” asked TSUTF state president Kariveda Mahipal Reddy and general secretary Venkatesham in a statement.
Anil Kumar, president of the Telangana Private Teachers Federation (TPTF), and general secretary Nanneboyina Tirupati voiced concerns over the Congress party’s election promise to allocate 15% of funds for education, which they feel has been disregarded.
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They highlighted that 65% of parents have already lost faith in government education and are opting to enroll their children in private schools despite the financial burden.
Social activist and member of the Education Commission Advisory Committee, Venkat Reddy, expressed his discontent by stating that the latest budget does not reflect any intention to provide quality education for underprivileged students.
He emphasized that with just Rs 500 crores allocated for universities, it is unrealistic to expect any meaningful development, effectively marginalizing these institutions.
Education mentioned 36 times in Budget speech
In his 11,997-word budget speech on March 19, finance minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu emphasized education as a critical sector, mentioning it 36 times.
He described education as “a guiding light for the secure future of children from the poor and disadvantaged classes.”
The education budget for 2025-26 saw a 13.5% increase to Rs 23,108 crores, up from Rs 21,292 crores in 2024-25, reflecting the government’s commitment to improving the sector.
Despite this increase, the growth in education funding has lagged behind the overall budget growth over the past decade.
While Telangana’s total budget has risen by 203% since 2014-15, the education budget has grown only by 126%. In 2014-15, Rs 10,200.33 crores were allocated to education out of a total budget of Rs 1,00,637.96 crores.
The finance minister acknowledged significant challenges in the education sector, stating that “while the global education system has undergone significant transformation, our government schools continue to lag behind by decades.”
He highlighted that out of Telangana’s 1,023 government residential schools, 662 lack their own buildings. Many are operating with minimal facilities, including inadequate toilets and overcrowded conditions.
