Telangana Govt scraps evening snacks, students struggle in extra classes

To improve pass rates in the Class X examinations, several government and local body schools across the state have started special evening classes without providing snacks, leaving students to attend the sessions on an empty stomach. After regular class hours from 9 am to 4:15 pm, the schools hold additional sessions lasting one to one and a half hours to help students prepare for their exams, aiming for a 100% pass rate.

Hyderabad: After nutritious breakfast, the Congress government appears to be depriving government students of their evening snacks.

In a bid to enhance pass percentage in the Class X examinations several government and local body schools across the State have commenced special evening classes sans snacks to students, forcing them to attend the classes on an empty stomach.

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Following regular classwork from 9 am to 4.15 pm, the schools have been holding one hour to one and half hours special classes meant to support students for their examination preparation with a goal of achieving 100 per cent pass rate.

Apart from syllabus revision and doubt clearing sessions, important topics and questions are discussed during the special classes. However, absence of evening snacks has left students frustrated and feeling drained as they have mid-day meals around 12.30 pm.

The previous BRS government had provided evening snacks to students attending these special classes to keep them energised during their exams preparation. Snacks like peanut chikki, sesame chikki, black-eyed beans or cowpea, fruits like banana were provided

For this, the School Education department had fixed Rs 15 per day as unit cost per student last year. A total of 1,89,791 students studying Class X in 4,785 government, ZP and Model Schools benefited from the initiative.

In the SSC Public Examinations 2024 results, a total of 22,351 government high school students appeared and 80.18 per cent passed. Similarly, out of 1,38,272 students from ZP high schools, 86.03 per cent were declared passed and 17,592 Model Schools’ students recorded a pass percentage 95.06.

The Telangana State Gazetted Headmasters’ Association (TSGHA) has recently submitted a representation to School Education director AV Narasimha Reddy, seeking his intervention in the issue.

“We want the government not to disturb teachers with non-academic activities in the run up to Class X exams. We also wanted the government to provide evening snacks for students to keep them energised during special classes,” said P Raja Bhanu Chandra Prakash, president TSGHA.

According to a senior official, there has been no budget provision for snacks for special classes. Moreover, snacks were provided in the run up to the examinations in the months of January and February last year, the official added.