Telangana to do away with intermediate colleges, bring Classes 11, 12 into schools

About 40 percent of students – mostly girls and those from Dalit, tribal, and minority groups – leave school after Class 10 instead of transitioning to intermediate colleges. (Image: Express photo/ representational)

Schools with integrated Classes 11 and 12, instead of separate intermediate colleges — that is the shift Telangana is set to make from the next academic year, with the Revanth Reddy government announcing a major overhaul of the state’s existing education system.

Announcing the decision on Wednesday, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said the government would introduce Classes 11 and 12 in schools from the next academic year, effectively bringing intermediate education under the school education system.

According to the chief minister, who held a review meeting of the education department on November 11, the school education system will be divided into primary education (kindergarten to Class 4), secondary education (Classes 5-8), and senior secondary education (Classes 9-12). The CM said the state would introduce reforms in the education sector while keeping in mind the primary goal of students’ welfare.

The main objective of the reforms, according to the state government, is to provide quality education from the nursery level through to the university stage and prepare students to compete in the modern world and grab opportunities. Under the proposed system, students will be groomed to develop proficiency in languages and communication skills by the time they complete Class 12, the Chief Minister said.

“After the 12th grade, students should get the opportunity to choose subjects of their interest and become experts in those fields,” Reddy said.

According to the government, about 40 per cent of students – mostly girls and those from Dalit, tribal, and minority groups – leave school after Class 10 instead of transitioning to intermediate colleges.

“The dropout rates are significantly lower in institutions like Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, which offer continuous education up to the 12th grade,” Reddy said, adding that following the upgrade of ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) into ATCs (Advanced Training Centres), there had been an increase in student enrolment.

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This marks a shift away from the two-tier structure in Telangana’s state education system, which separates schooling up to Class 10 from the two years for Classes 11 and 12, known locally as intermediate. Under this system, students are governed by two separate administrative boards and must transition to a different type of institution after their Class 10 board exams.

School education up to Class 10 is managed by the School Education Department and culminates in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) public exam conducted by the Board of Secondary Education. Intermediate education is governed by the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education.

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Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the ... Read More

Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanni... Read More