The parents staged the protest after around 56 students, who completed their first year of intermediate studies at the Gowlidoddi CoE, were reportedly denied re-admission at the school into the second year.
Published Jun 12, 2025 | 9:32 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 12, 2025 | 9:32 AM
Students and parents protest outside the Gowlidoddi CoE
Synopsis: Parents of several students have been protesting outside the Gowlidoddi Centre of Excellence near Hyderabad, as their wards did not receive a callback for the second year of intermediate studies, allegedly due to low academic performance. However, school officials said that the students were being admitted to different schools under the same administration, depending on their stream.
Tension simmered outside the Gowlidoddi Centre of Excellence (CoE) on the outskirts of Hyderabad as a group of distraught parents staged a protest against what they call an “unfair and abrupt” policy shift by the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TGSWREIS).
Chanting slogans, the demonstrators demanded justice for their children, who they allege have been cast aside without warning.
The parents staged the protest after around 56 students, who completed their first year of intermediate studies at the Gowlidoddi CoE, were reportedly denied re-admission at the school into the second year.
Officials allegedly told them that their academic performance was low. However, the parents argue that their children, most of them from Scheduled Caste (SC) backgrounds, had fought through immense odds to stay in school, only to be told they weren’t good enough.
Macha Narsanna Marx Ambedkar, the president of the Progressive Parents Association, headed the protest against this move from the beginning. “It feels like they want SC children to remain at the bottom,” he told South First.
“About 56 students across genders and streams have not been asked to return to school this academic year. What are they supposed to do?” he questioned, his voice heavy with concern.
His son, who secured 72 per cent in his first year, was among the students whose future hangs in the balance.
“My son studied his first year at Gowlidoddi, a premier institution known for its JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) and NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) coaching. It is one of the few schools in the Gurukula and Centre of Excellence network functioning properly. I understand that they’ve taken a policy decision. However, is it not unfair to let it affect the students who were already here? Doesn’t this disadvantage them more? Who is to say that one of these kids will not make the state proud next year?” he asked.
“We are not asking the government to give us money or provide us with jobs. We are asking for an opportunity to educate our children well. Yet, they are taking that away from us as well,” he alleged.
He also noted that the parents were not against the move. “They are telling us that this move will help improve the child’s performance in school. Why would any parent be against that? However, their choosing to implement it abruptly despite the various challenges at the school last year is grossly unfair,” he said.
Narsanna noted that the students faced multiple systemic challenges at the beginning of the last academic year.
“In addition to the lack of any government official in charge of the program, the school lost its principal due to retirement. At the same time, the lecturers were also not paid their salaries until August,” Narsanna said.
He added that from June until August, the students had to rely on available material and teach themselves because the teachers refused to.
“On top of all this, the students and parents told me that there was also a lack of focus on the JEE coaching. This was coupled with a pay cut for the professors, which led to a deterioration of the teaching quality at the institution,” he continued.
“Despite all these challenges, only three or four students failed. We are not asking for handouts. We are asking for an opportunity and some understanding. These kids are not from normal families. They are from poor families where they have to work and help support the household. Yet, they work hard in this school and try their best,” he explained.
He also noted that there was much confusion regarding the cutoff for continuation at the Centre of Excellence. “They began with 95 percent, which later dropped to 90 and then to 85 percent. What is the rationale behind the change?” he questioned.
He also spoke about how the students and parents were affected by this sudden change. “I can ask my son why he didn’t study. I can blame him as well. But that is not the point. I know he did his best. Give him a level playing field, don’t punish his effort,” Narsanna said.
Venkat Reddy is another parent who is fighting alongside Narsanna for his child. “I may be from the OC (Other Castes) category, but given our financial situation, my child needs this,” he told South First.
“Since we didn’t get a callback, I have continuously scolded my son. I told him we would not have been in this position if he had studied hard enough. I did this even as he explained his challenges. I came to realise the reality of the situation only after I spoke to some of the other students and parents,” he explained.
“I’m receiving calls from parents who are concerned and disturbed. Several students have lost their sense of worth. They are devastated by this loss. The parents call me crying, and tell me about their children expressing their lack of desire to live anymore, since they see no point. There are also some parents, a few widows, who are contemplating killing themselves along with their children because they no longer see a way out of their conditions. Does the state realise the implication of its actions?” he questioned.
“It almost feels as if they want us to remain at the feet of the rest of society,” he said. “These are hardworking kids; we are just beginning to step away from our shackled realities,” he continued.
“Where are these kids supposed to go?” he asked.
“When we reached out to the officials of the TGWREIS, we did not get much assurance,” Narsanna reported. “Apart from the customary ‘we will see,’ there was a sense of apathy coming from them,” he continued.
“They told us that they were ready to accommodate those left behind at a different school. While that in itself can negatively affect the child’s academic performance, the schools’, in Chilkur, Uppal, and Mahendra Hills, proximity adds another layer to the issue. These are far away from the city,” he said.
“We spoke to numerous lecturers. They state that the teachers are not likely to show up at those schools due to the distance. While our children have accommodation, the lecturers, with their reduced pay, are unwilling to teach there,” he explained.
He added that this option was given only to those students who have decent marks. “When asked about the remaining students who passed but didn’t make the cut, they told us to admit them anywhere but here. If we could afford to send our children to private schools, why would they be here and not close to home? For us, getting an education is already a gargantuan challenge; now, what about these kids? We don’t even have the money to fight this in court,” he said.
Gowlidoddi Boys CoE Principal, T Anjaiah, told South First that only four premier institutes are focusing on competitive exams in TGSWREIS. The Chilkur, Mahendra Hills, and Gowlidoddi boys ‘ and girls’ campuses constitute the premier CoEs.
“What the administration decided to do was create a more conducive learning environment for the students. Instead of having them all together, we decided to segment them into different campuses depending on their stream. JEE and NEET coaching will take place in different centres for boys and girls across the four campuses,” he explained.
“This will allow the students to have a streamlined headspace,” he asserted.
“We are pushing the parents to accept this as we believe it will benefit their children. However, the parents are protesting that they want their children to be at Gowlidoddi. They are protesting despite our assurances that they will not only benefit from the move, but also the facilities will remain the same across campuses,” he added.
However, Anjaiah did not respond to questions regarding the change in percentage cutoff or the denial of admission to about 56 students.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
