Hyderabad: Despite a state order barring schools from using labels such as ‘Model’, ‘International’, ‘Techno’, ‘Olympiad’ and ‘Talent’ in their names, more than 600 schools across Hyderabad and Rangareddy continue to carry at least one of these prohibited titles.A TOI analysis of the School Education Department’s official database found that of the 3,697 schools across this belt, at least 601 – about 16.3% – use one or more labels prohibited under GO 91 issued in 2009. The order stated that private unaided schools should not use names such titles as they create a false impression of superior education while enabling schools to charge exorbitant fees.But 17 years later, it continues to be flouted. The most widely used prohibited title, TOI found, is ‘Model’ appearing in the names of 210 schools, followed by ‘Talent’ (73) and ‘International’ (72). Titles like ‘Concept’, ‘Excellence’, ‘Brilliant’, ‘Creative’ too make frequent appearances.Academics claim these are nothing but “marketing gimmicks”, aimed at hiking up the fee. Incidentally, the annual fee in most of these schools is upwards of Rs 3 to 4 lakh, with some going up to as high as Rs 14 lakh.“Parents today are desperately looking for quality education, and branding has become a powerful tool to influence their choices. Just as consumers are drawn to brands while buying products, many parents judge schools by labels such as ‘International’ or ‘Model’, assuming they offer better education. Education has increasingly become commodified, and such branding exploits parents’ aspirations rather than helping them assess the actual quality of a school,” said Dr Shanta Sinha, former chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).Y Shekhar Rao, president of the Telangana Recognised School Managements Association (TRSMA) claimed: “Many parents associate such names with better quality or specialised education, and some institutions exploit this perception as a marketing strategy. For some parents, these schools are also a status symbol.” Apart from urging parents to be more mindful while choosing a school, he also called for better implementation of the govt order. “The continued use of titles despite a ban reflects weak enforcement,” he added.Hyderabad district education officer S Yadaiah told TOI that notices had been issued to several schools for violating the GO around two years ago. “Those schools changed their names. Post that, we have not been approving schools that come with such names,” he said. Another senior official from the school education dept said that they had not received any such complaints about schools violating the norm or action being taken against them.Parents TOI spoke to admitted that such labels often influence their decision. “Many assume a word like ‘International’ or ‘Techno’ means a stronger curriculum or better facilities, whether or not that is actually the case,” said Shah Taj Khan, who has one child studying in such schools. “I wonder if many parents are aware that such titles are banned.”School management bodies offered differing views. Praveen Raju, president of the Independent Schools Management Association, argued that ‘International’ should not be treated on par with titles such as ‘Techno’, ‘Concept’ or ‘Olympiad’.“If a school offers an international curriculum, whether Cambridge or IB, calling itself an international school is not wrong,” he said. “It is very difficult to understand the intent of a school. Some genuinely offer an international curriculum. Others may simply mean that their teaching approach is internationally minded,” he added.
