Private institutions in the state are going in for the next big thing in education "� schools. These institutions, some of which have already opened over 100 schools, are planning to open thousands of schools all over the state in the next 10 years. | |
| The Gowtham Educational Institutions is running 18 schools in the state, 16 in Hyderabad, one in Vijayawada, and one in Gudivada. Bhashyam is operating over 10 schools and recently opened one in Hyderabad. |
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| Chaitanya, a leader in intermediate education, Nalanda, Narayana, Vikas, Kakatiya, Vignan, and other prominent private educational institutions maintain a number of private schools. |
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| About 500-600 private institutions, which have been vying for a share in the about Rs 350 crore intermediate education market, have recently undergone correction and consolidation. Every year about 1.2 lakh students join intermediate courses in private colleges. |
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| The institutions, after consolidation, have opened branches in Kota (Rajasthan), Delhi and Chandigarh in a big way, and have now even entered Patna in Bihar. |
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| Speaking to Business Standard, Director of Gowtham Educational Institutions N Chowdary Babu said, "Corporate institutions are gearing up to face tough competition from three groups while pushing into school education - existing small private schools, international schools being opened by prominent industrial houses such as the Birlas and Reliance, and schools to be started by NRIs and foreign institutions." |
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| Chowdary Babu's group manages 13 intermediate colleges and 18 schools. He was till recently was the president of Association of Private Colleges of Andhra Pradesh. |
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| Reputed foreign institutions have already opened franchisee shops in the state and they will compete with the corporate institutions of the state in school and college segments. |
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| The government and critics of private education, instead of curtailing the growth of local private institutions, should better watch the activities of the foreign educational bodies, he said. |
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| "After the WTO norms come into effect in 2005, the onslaught of foreign institutions will hit hard the private educational institutions, which for over two decades strove and built a unique and customer-oriented educational system in the state," Babu said. |
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| In such a scenario, Babu said that the government should give private educational institutions and their managements the total freedom in running their institutions and said, "Even syllabus-making and textbook publication should be handed over to the private sector. Government schools and colleges might follow the present system. As the government discouraged opening of private universities by some renowned educationists, they inaugurated the universities in Chhattisgarh, and opened their branches in state. The two private varsities are fast developing. In curricula and teaching methods, government universities are of no match to them." |
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| "The system has been designed to deliver what parents and students desire from it. Competition and entrance tests came to be conducted after the Supreme Court had ordered that there should be a rational way for admitting deserving candidates into various courses. Eamcet, AIEEE, Zipmer and all other entrance tests evolved out of this necessity." |
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| Added to it is the phenomenal increase in the international demand for engineers and doctors. Earlier, the Andhra students went to neighbouring states, spent lakhs, and became doctors and engineers. |
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| Now there are about 270 engineering colleges in the state. Students from other states now come to Andhra Pradesh and take up professional courses. Five years ago, Andhra students got less than 100 seats in the IITs. This year, Andhra boys and girls have bagged 500 IIT seats. |
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