The Telangana Education Commission (TEC) is mulling over the possibility of recommending to the state government that intermediate examination marks be the basis for entry into Engineering, Agricultural and Pharmacy courses instead of the current system.
At a public hearing held on intermediate education in Hyderabad on Wednesday, June 11, the TEC Chairperson IAS officer Akunuri Murali, asked government teachers, students, parents and activists to share their inputs on scrapping the existing EAPCET exam. The question was posed after many parents and teachers raised concerns over the exorbitant prices coaching centers charge for EAPCET training.
“If corporatisation of the education system is a problem and parents are forced to spend a lot on training, what if we just revert back to using inter examinations as the basis instead of compelling students to write a separate entrance? Doesn’t that solve at least the problem to a certain extent?” Murali asked.
Speaking to TNM, TEC member PL Vishweshwar Rao said that while they were considering the possibility, it isn’t set in stone.
“We aren’t sure if we will make the recommendation to the Telangana government yet. But it is a complaint we hear a lot. Parents tell us that their child has secured 90% in inter finals and it seems unreasonable that the child has to go through a lot of stress and they have to spend more money for the EAPCET entrance,” he said.
The TEC also heard stakeholders discuss issues pertaining to students dropping out of education, lack of public transport to colleges, hike in private college fees and other issues.
The TEC was set up by the Congress government in September 2024 with the stated aim of revamping the education sector in the state from pre-primary to the university levels. The Commission has already recommended five reports to the CM Revanth Reddy led government on food quality, private school fees, teaching methodologies etc.