‘Only education can change destiny’
On September 5, 2025, commemorating Teachers’ Day, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy chose to felicitate teachers and, at the same time, deliver a sharp reminder: the State’s education system needs urgent revival. Standing before a packed hall of teachers, students, and officials, he didn’t mince words – “Telangana needs a new education policy,” he declared, pointing to a decade of neglect under the previous BRS regime.
Now, let’s look at what exactly this means.
Most Chief Ministers hold on to heavyweight portfolios like Finance or Irrigation. But Revanth Reddy has chosen Education as his personal responsibility. That in itself is telling. His reasoning? The system has weakened so badly that it needs direct attention from the highest level. In his words, “If teachers do their job well, I will work alongside you for the development of education in the State. And yes, I too want a second term, but only through this path.”
This is a clear indication that education is central to his government’s vision of Telangana 2.0.
A decade of broken promises
Revanth Reddy did not shy away from blaming the previous regime. The BRS government, he argued, promised “KG to PG free education” but failed to deliver. Recruitment of teachers stopped in 2017, leaving thousands of vacancies unfilled. Transfers and promotions were kept on hold for years. Universities like Osmania and Kakatiya, once the pride of Telangana, were left dysfunctional without professors.
The Chief Minister went as far as accusing the earlier government of “turning education into a business”, leaving private schools to flourish while government institutions withered.
Turning the tide in favour of education sector
Since coming to power, the Congress government claims to have moved swiftly – recruiting 11,000 teachers within 55 days, raising allowances, and forming an official committee to draft a new education policy. According to the Chief Minister, enrolment in government schools has already risen by 3 lakh students, signalling restored faith in public education.
But promises don’t stop there. Revanth Reddy has announced:
- Young India Residential Schools to rival the best global models.
- A Young India Skills University and upgraded ITIs to prepare youth for jobs.
- A Young India Sports University and Academy to nurture rural talent, citing icons like Mohammed Siraj and Nikhat Zareen who emerged from humble beginnings.
- Sending 200 teachers abroad every year to study international practices.
These are ambitious steps, but will they translate into change on the ground? With the direction the Telangana Congress government is taking, it looks like a resounding ‘Yes’.
Passing the baton to teachers
What makes Revanth’s speech different is how much weight he placed on teachers themselves. He reminded everyone that teachers were at the forefront of the Telangana movement, carrying the “Jai Telangana” slogan to every village. Now, he says, they must carry the torch again – not for political statehood, but for educational reconstruction.
Besides being policy-driven, his appeal was personal. “I studied in a rural government school,” he said, promising not to look down on teachers but to treat them as “the compass of society”. He even added a simple yet symbolic directive: teachers should eat with students in hostels to ensure trust and safety after reports of food poisoning.
The big picture
Revanth’s larger message was clear: education is the key to Telangana’s future. “Only education can change the destiny of children, and of the State,” he said, urging the teachers to pledge that government schools must compete with corporate ones.
In a State where nearly 24 lakh children study in government schools but 34 lakh are still in private institutions, this is no small challenge. Rebuilding confidence in public schools will require more than fiery speeches – it will demand better infrastructure, motivated teachers, and sustained funding.
A political gamble?
By holding the Education portfolio himself, Revanth Reddy has made education both his mission and his gamble. If reforms succeed, he positions himself as the leader who restored Telangana’s classrooms. If they falter, the responsibility rests squarely on his shoulders.
For now, though, his Teachers’ Day message struck the right chord. He carefully blended accountability for the past and ambitious promises for the future with an emotional appeal to teachers to once again play a historic role in shaping Telangana and the destiny of its future citizens.
What Revanth Reddy is asking the teachers is simple: educate the students and rebuild the State – brick by brick, classroom by classroom. And that’s a vision worth paying attention to.