The Telangana government is planning to introduce pre-primary education—nursery, lower kindergarten (LKG), and upper kindergarten (UKG)—in all state-run schools starting from the 2025–26 academic year. This move is intended to align government schools with the structure followed by private institutions and to improve early childhood education standards across the state.
The proposal was officially mooted by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy during the inauguration of the Young India Police School at Manchirevula in Hyderabad. He emphasized the need to start pre-primary classes in government schools to reduce the disparity in student enrolment between private and public institutions.
Pilot Implementation Before Full Rollout
As per senior officials in the school education department, the plan will be implemented on a pilot basis in the academic year 2025–26. Initially, pre-primary sections will be introduced in one or two government schools in each of the 594 mandals across Telangana. Based on the success of this pilot, the initiative may be expanded statewide in subsequent years.
The proposal was also recently recommended by the state education commission, headed by retired IAS officer Akunuri Murali and comprising several educational experts. According to officials, this step aims to fill policy gaps in foundational learning and ensure children receive quality early education from the beginning.
Addressing Infrastructure and Staffing Needs
The education department acknowledged that the proposal is still in its early stages and several critical issues must be resolved before a full-scale launch. These include building the necessary infrastructure, hiring trained teachers for early childhood education, and developing a comprehensive curriculum tailored to young learners.
The state will also study similar pre-primary education models implemented in other states. Officials specifically noted the example of Andhra Pradesh, where the previous government introduced pre-primary sections through Anganwadi centres.
Bridging the Gap Between Government and Private Schools
Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy pointed out the significant enrolment gap between private and government schools. Telangana’s 11,500 private schools reportedly enrol around 30 lakh students, while 29,000 government schools have only about 18.5 lakh students. He attributed this disparity to the absence of pre-primary education in public institutions, which causes parents to enroll their children in private schools from an early age.
Reddy emphasized that many teachers in government schools have higher educational qualifications than their counterparts in private schools. Despite this, public schools struggle to attract students, largely due to structural gaps in their education system.
Free Transport for Underprivileged Children
To support the implementation of pre-primary classes, the Telangana government also plans to offer free transportation facilities for children from underprivileged backgrounds. This move is expected to make it easier for families to send their children to government schools and increase overall enrolment.
In conclusion, the Telangana government’s plan to introduce nursery, LKG, and UKG classes represents a significant step towards strengthening early childhood education in public schools. While implementation will be phased and carefully monitored, the initiative aims to bridge the long-standing gap between public and private schooling systems in the state.
