A growing trend is emerging in Telangana’s school education landscape, with a significant number of budget private schools moving away from the state syllabus to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum. This transition is being driven mainly by parental demand for quality education and broader opportunities for students.
Why Schools Are Switching
School authorities and parent groups in Telangana report that post-pandemic priorities have shifted. Parents increasingly value:
- Holistic education over rote learning
- Better preparation for competitive exams like JEE and NEET
- Perceived advantages in infrastructure and teaching standards associated with CBSE schools
This preference is not limited to urban centres – even schools in mandals and rural areas are seeking to adopt the CBSE curriculum.
Scale of the Shift
Over the past two to three years, educational administrators estimate that around 500 to 600 budget schools across the state have applied for No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to transition from the state board syllabus to CBSE. These schools include those in smaller towns and mandal headquarters, not just larger cities.
Many school heads explicitly say that parent pressure is a key factor in applying for CBSE affiliation. “Post-pandemic, parents are no longer looking at marks alone. They want overall development and are increasingly moving away from the state syllabus,” one school operator told The Times of India.
Financial Implications for Families
One of the most visible effects of the shift is on school fee structures:
- Under the state syllabus (SSC), annual fees in rural budget schools typically range between ₹20,000 and ₹35,000.
- After moving to a CBSE affiliation, fees frequently rise to ₹50,000 or more annually, even in smaller towns.
This fee increase is frequently justified by schools as necessary to meet CBSE’s infrastructural and faculty requirements.
What Schools Say About CBSE Curriculum
School management representatives have cited multiple benefits of a CBSE shift:
- Structured and regular teacher training and monitoring
- Greater institutional support via regional CBSE offices
- Curriculum alignment with national expectations and competitive exam preparation
- Stronger appeal to parents seeking an ‘all-round development’ model
One school head from Khammam said that CBSE affiliation provides a “minimum guarantee that a school will have decent facilities and qualified teachers,” emphasizing the difference in expectations between boards.
Concerns Over Access and Inequality
Education experts caution that the shift to CBSE may widen inequalities in school access:
- Higher fees may put quality education out of reach for lower-income families
- Smaller government and state-board schools may see further erosion of enrolment
- Rising private education costs could exacerbate educational disparities in rural areas
What This Means for Telangana’s Education System
The ongoing shift suggests a major reorientation in parental preferences and school strategy in Telangana:
- CBSE is increasingly seen as a pathway to national competitive exams and broader higher-education options
- Budget schools are recalibrating their offerings to match demand
The shape of school education in Telangana may change significantly in the coming years, with more institutions aligning with national curricula