The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ‘Down to earth’ junior college

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Saturday, Jul 26, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘Down to earth’ junior college

J.S. Ifthekhar

Principal shares open corridor with other staff members

Photo G. Krishnaswamy

Centre of learning: Students made to sit on the ground and study at the Government Junior College for Girls at Falaknuma.—

Hyderabad: No prizes for guessing. It is not a primary class in progress. Not even a high school section. These are students of a junior college taking lessons squatting on the floor.

It sure cries out for attention. The Government Junior College for Girls, Falaknuma, has no infrastructure, accommodation or other facilities worth the name. There are just four classrooms in two rundown buildings for MPC, BiPC and CEC students of both English and Urdu media.

No basic amenities

Forget library and lab, this junior college doesn’t even have electricity and drinking water facility. A village school certainly has a better learning ambience than this college situated in the State capital. Though sanctioned in August last, it was only last month that the college began functioning on the premises of the Government Girls High School, Falaknuma. With six days left for the admissions to close, just 200 students have enrolled. This is the only government college in this part of old city and it should have been flooded with students. But lack of basic amenities is making parents think twice before admitting their wards, it is said.

Like a private institution, this government college has launched a publicity blitzkrieg to woo students. Banners, handbills and local TV channels are being employed for this.

Purpose defeated

Improving access to higher education for minority students is an important mandate of the government. And the very objective of setting up the junior college here is to enable girls belonging to a minority community to pursue higher education. “But the improper accommodation and lack of infrastructure beats this very purpose,” says a resident.

Interestingly, two different classes of Urdu and English media run in the same room for want of accommodation. What about the principal? He has no separate office. He shares the open corridor with other staff members. Two aluminium trunks serve as a cupboard for keeping the college records.

However, college Principal Mohd. Fareed Ali Baig, tries to play down the infrastructure shortage. “It is a new college and it will take some time for things to improve,” he says and hastens to add that the first lot of new benches for students have arrived.

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