Hyderabad, Oct 11 (IANS): The Telangana government on Friday commenced the exercise to establish Young India Integrated Residential Schools, aimed at providing quality education with international-standard facilities to the poor and weaker sections.
Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy laid the foundation stone for two such schools in Khammam and Nalgonda districts respectively.
Foundation stones for 28 Young India Integrated Residential Schools were laid on Friday.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will lay the foundation stone at Kondurg in Shadnagar constituency of Rangareddy district while Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka is scheduled to launch work on the residential school in his Assembly constituency Madhira in Khammam district.
Each school with an ultra-modern and well-equipped campus will be spread over 25 acres of land providing ample space for education and extracurricular activities.
The government said each of these English medium residential schools from Class IV to Class XII will be net zero campuses harnessing wind and solar energies and will have an intake of 2,560 students and 120 teaching staff. They will be equipped with digital libraries, smart boards and computer labs.
These schools will transcend caste, religion and class boundaries and will have facilities like dedicated cricket, football grounds and basketball and tennis courts.
Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka described the initiative as a Dussehra gift to students and their parents. He appealed to people to get their children admitted into these residential schools for high-quality education.
According to him, the architectural design of these schools is based on sustainability and inclusivity with climate response planning. The designs with rainwater harvesting systems would comply with global standards for differently abled students to ensure that no one was left out.
He exuded confidence that these integrated residential schools would become role models for the entire country.
While handing over appointment letters to 10,000 newly recruited teachers on October 9, the Chief Minister had said that one Young India Integrated Residential School would be opened in each Assembly constituency to impart corporate-level education to students.
The state has 119 Assembly constituencies and the government plans to spend Rs 125 crore on each of these schools.
A committee of senior officials from different departments was constituted to supervise the entire exercise for bringing the idea of integrated residential schools into proper shape.
Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari held a teleconference with the Collectors of the respective districts to finalise arrangements for the foundation laying programme.
The officials have been directed to identify suitable locations, at least one in each Assembly constituency.
The work is on to identify lands for establishing more schools in the second phase.
Chief Minister’s constituency Kodangal and the Deputy Chief Minister’s constituency Madhira will be covered under the first phase.